


Stowaway

by OneWhoSitsWithTurtles



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Developing Friendships, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Merman!Eren, Pirate!Levi, Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-02-24 07:19:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2572979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneWhoSitsWithTurtles/pseuds/OneWhoSitsWithTurtles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is the Captain of <i>The Captain's Killer</i>, the most dreaded pirate ship in all the Caribbean, which hunts its bounty with ruthless efficiency. For years Captain Levi has dodged the Navy's most decorated Commander, Erwin, and his attempts at sinking Levi's ship and coercing him into sailing under the Navy's banner. It seems that Levi will continue sailing the seas as he pleases, answering to no one but the mood of the winds, until a stowaway with a few secrets of his own ends up on his ship and throws everything in disarray.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Important Notes:**
> 
> \+ [My inspiration for Pirate Captain Levi (this fanart pre-dates the story)](http://roxoah.tumblr.com/post/89656378051/captain-levi-owner-of-the-winged-behemoth-and)
> 
> \+ I will be posting a chapter weekly; either Thursdays or Fridays depending on how busy work is
> 
> \+ Since SnK's author, Isayama Hajime, has requested Kodansha's official English translation to 'avoid gendered pronouns...or at least to use he and she with equal frequency' in reference to Hanji, I will be using 'zhe' as a gender neutral pronoun for Hanji in this story
> 
> \+ I will be tracking this story under #fic: stowaway

"Captain!"

 

Levi raised his gaze from the map he was studying to watch one of the deckhands from the lower levels race up the stairs towards him. The boy was red-faced and out of breath; he must've run all the way up from the bottom levels of the ship where he had been tasked to clean for the day. "What is it?"

 

"You had better..." the boy paused to drag air into his lungs, clutching at the railing to keep himself on his feet, "Come quick. The hold."

 

Levi glanced over at his first mate, Hanji, who was on the bridge with Levi and currently manning the ship's wheel. Then he levelled the deckhand with a look that made him wither. "What _about_ the hold?" If there was a major problem like a leak, Levi's chief engineer, Gunther, surely would've informed Levi personally rather than sending a deckhand.

 

The boy, probably no more than sixteen, gulped. "A stowaway, sir."

 

Levi pursed his lips and then began folding up the map precisely to avoid it being snatched away by the wind. Stowaways were not a terribly important task to deal with, and certainly not something the captain would generally address. However, Levi liked to know every detail about his ship from top to bottom, and he wanted to meet the lowlife who had crawled aboard his ship before casting him out into the waves for a shark to find.

 

He handed the folded map to Hanji for safekeeping. "Keep our course steady."

 

"Aye," Hanji nodded, tucking the map away in one of the inner pockets of zher coat.

 

After brushing his fingers over the hilt of his cutlass, Levi made his way down the stairs from the bridge and across the deck. The deckhand was still winded as he attempted to match Levi's pace, though Levi certainly did not require any leading throughout his own ship. It was only when they were down in the hold, large piles of supplies in tied-down boxes surrounding them that Levi nudged the deckhand into directing him the rest of the way.

 

It didn't take long to see the glimmer of a lantern lighting up the area ahead of them. Levi found his chief chef, Auruo, with his blade against the throat of a boy cowering between a tower of boxes and the hull of the ship. Two other boys were there, assistants to Auruo for cooking, one with the lantern and another with a pair of manacles clutched in his hands. "Captain Levi, sir," Auruo greeted him when Levi came into view. "Found this little urchin hiding in here when I came to get some supplies for dinner."

 

Levi focused on the boy, studying him in the swaying lantern light. It was hard to tell with shadows cascading across his face, but if Levi had to guess he would peg the boy in his late teens. His clothes were thin and tattered, and the boy's entire body was covered in filth. Levi grimaced and only approached a few measured steps. "What's your name?" The boy didn't answer; didn't even look up. Levi kicked the boy's bare foot with the toe of his leather boot. "Oi, brat. I'm speaking to you."

 

The boy's face tilted upwards, matted hair falling back to reveal his face. Dirt and grime covered most of his skin, though what caught Levi's attention was the blend of fury and fear in bright green eyes. "Eren."

 

"Eren," Levi repeated. "What made you think it was acceptable for you to stow away on my ship?"

 

"None of your damned business!" Eren snapped.

 

Levi's eyes narrowed. He rested the sole of his boot on the swell of Eren's ankle and ground down slightly until Eren winced. "As the captain, I'd say it fucking well _is_ my business so spit it out and don't make me ask you again."Eren bared his teeth but otherwise remained silent. Levi's patience ran short. "Throw him in the brig," he ordered.

 

"Not the water?" Auruo asked curiously. Standard practice was to pitch stowaways over the rail unless they'd fetch a ransom in a nearby town.

 

"A few days with no food will make him talk," Levi reasoned. Finally those sharp green eyes fell to the floor. "He can die once I have my answers."

 

"Aye, captain," Auruo agreed and Levi left without another parting word, his coat billowing out behind him.

 

Hanji was still at the wheel when Levi returned to the bridge, eyebrow raised and eyes dancing with curiosity. "So?"

 

"So what?" Levi grunted, taking back the map zhe handed him.

 

He could feel Hanji watching him even as he rolled open the map to study again. "Well the stowaway hasn't been thrown overboard yet so I'm assuming they must be special."

 

"He's not special," Levi cut zher off. "He's just an obstinate brat who needs to be taught a lesson before he meets his death."

 

"Some would say it shouldn't matter if you're just going to feed him to the sharks anyway," Hanji pointed out, hands steady on the wheel even with zher attention elsewhere.

 

"Go fuck yourself," Levi grumbled. "And no, you can't go see him," he added before Hanji could ask.

 

Hanji pouted. "You're no fun."

 

"Tough shit. Keep your eyes ahead," he ordered.

 

"It's clear waters for the next three days until we make port in Bridgetown," Hanji shot back. "I don't think it would be _possible_ to sink the ship, even if I was blindfolded."

 

"I wouldn't put it past you," Levi said and then tucked the map under one arm. "I'll be in my quarters."

 

"Not going to visit our newest addition in the brig?" Hanji sang after him.

 

Levi didn't dignify the comment with a response as he slammed his cabin's door closed behind him.

 

#

 

A sharp knock on the door jolted Levi out of his doze. He rubbed exhaustion from his eyes and checked his pocket watch quickly, seeing that it was the early hours of the morning. Levi should've been in bed hours ago but by the time he had finished with dinner and his tasks for the evening, it was already late when he sat down at his desk with the journal he had found alongside the map he had been studying all day.

 

A famous treasure hunter had lived in Port Sinai, who had collected maps and legends pointing towards treasure for years. The man had grown beyond his youth, no longer capable of venturing out on his own adventures, and Levi had decided it would be quite a shame to leave such a collection of maps to rot away. While the rest of his crew had plundered the town for gold and jewels from the nobility stationed there, Levi and Hanji had relieved the old treasure hunter of his life's work, which included a sack of maps and a thick journal of stories and directions. Unfortunately, it was still somewhat of a challenge to decipher some of the man's scribbles and determine what was legend or truth.

 

Another knock at the door drew Levi's attention away from his desk as he stood. "Captain!"

 

Levi didn't bother with his hat but did pull his coat on as he walked to the door, knowing how chilled the air could grow once the sun had set below the waves. He yanked the door open quickly, startling his chief medic, Petra, badly enough that she jumped backwards. "For fuck's sake, what is it?"

 

"The stowaway..." she began and Levi rolled his eyes. This kid was more trouble than he was worth.

 

"What about him?"

 

"He's sick."

 

"That's it?" Levi asked. "He's sick? Of course he's sick. The brat has probably never been off the shores before."

 

"No no, Captain," Petra rushed to say before Levi slammed his door closed again. "I thought he was just seasick as well, but I think it's more than that. He's getting worse."

 

Levi leaned on his doorframe as he regarded Petra. She always cared too much. "How so?"

 

"Well, at first he was just very pale but I figured that was because he was feeling nauseous," Petra explained. "But when I just went back to bring him some more water, I noticed that he was breathing very quickly, and he's trembling quite badly."

 

"Little shit," Levi cursed, crossing his arms. Not that Levi cared what happened to Eren, but if the kid was sick with something contagious, Levi didn't want his whole ship catching it. "Alright, let's go," he said and closed his door, Petra close on his heels. When they were at the top of the stairs that would lead down into the brig, Levi paused. He pulled his dark brown bandana from around his head to cover his mouth and slid on his gloves, watching as Petra did the same.

 

It was cooler in the brig than in other parts of the ship but not dank; Levi always made sure his ship was in good condition and dry to avoid the spread of mould. The jailor sat by the stairs, on the far end of the room from the three cells set up – no doubt he also feared infection. Levi walked up to the only occupied cell, looking at Eren through the bars and not commenting on the blanket wrapped around him that Petra must've already provided. There was a bucket in the corner with a puddle of vomit surrounding it when Eren must've missed. Disgusting.

 

The boy was curled up on the ground, back facing Levi and the cell door. Despite the blanket put on top of him, Levi could still see the way Eren was shaking. "Hey, brat," Levi kicked the cell bars with enough force to make them rattle. Eren barely even responded. "Oi, Eren," Levi said louder.

 

Eren looked over his shoulder at Levi but his eyes were dim and glassy, unseeing. "Where am I?" Eren croaked.

 

"You're on my ship," Levi said as he took the key from Petra and opened the cell door. "And making a filthy mess of it, I might add."

 

"Sorry..." Eren mumbled.

 

"You better be sorry," Levi stepped into the cell, ignoring the tang of sickness. He knelt down and pulled on Eren's shoulder, rolling him fully onto his back. "Trust me, I'm going to make sure you live long enough to clean up your mess, and then everyone else's mess for the next _year_ after this."

 

Eren didn't respond; seemed entirely unable to. Kneeling this close Levi could hear the unsteady way Eren was panting, and it only took a finger held briefly against Eren's neck to pick up on Eren's racing heartbeat. He was definitely sick; the question was with what, and if it was contagious. Levi looked the boy over and that was when he noticed a section of Eren's right lower pant leg which was stained with blood.

 

Carefully he reached down and pulled the hem of Eren's pants up his leg. Levi had to be extra careful when the fabric of the pants stuck to Eren's leg, half-dried with blood, and Eren whined with pain. "Suck it up," Levi huffed, but took extra care when pulling the pant leg further up until he revealed a deep cut about halfway up Eren's shin. The torn skin looked ragged, like Eren had caught his leg on a piece of broken metal.

 

Eren was still whining in the back of his throat, and when Levi glanced up he could tell by the look on Eren's face that it was due to nausea. "If you puke on me, I _will_ skin you," he warned the boy as he sat back. Levi peeled his gloves off and pulled his bandana down to circle his neck, turning his attention to Petra who was still standing outside the cell. "Looks like he's got an infected cut, nothing contagious," he said with relief.

 

Petra rushed in and knelt on Eren's other side and placed a palm to his forehead. "He has a terrible fever. The infection must've been festering for the last few hours." She looked the cut over closely, though she didn't touch it. While Eren didn't have a sickness that was contagious through airborne means, they still had to be careful of the infected body fluids. Eren's cut was still bleeding sluggishly with puss around the edges. Levi was glad he wasn't the medic. "We'll have to get this thoroughly cleaned and bandaged. And it won't be easy, but we'll need to get more fluids into him."

 

"We'll focus on getting water into him now, and then we can try getting him to eat once his stomach settles," Levi said.

 

Petra sent him a surprised look. "I thought you ordered that he not be fed."

 

Levi tried to keep his posture from growing defensive. "Well I'm not going to get any answers if he keels over on me, am I?"

 

"No, I suppose not." Petra looked back down at Eren's cut leg, but Levi still caught the upward curl of her lips. "Well he won't recover here; we need to keep him somewhere that has no chance of further infection."

 

Levi didn't like where this was going. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

 

"I think the best place for him to stay while he recovers is your cabin," Petra suggested.

 

"Fuck no."

 

Petra's eyebrows knit together with stubborn determination. "I dare you to name another place on this ship cleaner than your cabin." Levi didn't have a rebuttal, and Petra knew it. "Plus, you're the one who specifically said you don't want him keeling over."

 

Levi knew when he was beaten. "Fine."

 

"Good," Petra looked entirely too pleased with herself. "You get him up to your rooms. I'll get my supplies and meet you there shortly."

 

"What if he pukes again?" Levi studied Eren's face, which still possessed a sickly hue.

 

"I'll clean up any messes and have your gloves cleaned before being returned to you," Petra promised. "Now stop being difficult and _go_."

 

Petra stayed long enough to help manoeuvre Eren into Levi's arms and then dashed away to get her medical supplies. Eren groaned and lay limp in Levi's hold, head lolling until it found a comfortable place to rest in the crook of Levi's arm. Eren stared up at Levi hazily, and Levi met the stare. "I'm serious about the puking, brat," he warned. Eren only whined in response but did manage to keep any vomit down while Levi carried him up the few flights of stairs and towards the stern of the ship where his captain's quarters were located.

 

He had left the lantern by his desk lit when he left so his room was still dimly lit when Levi shouldered the door open and carried Eren inside. The thought of placing Eren in his bed with his filthy clothes and bloody leg had Levi grimacing. But even if Levi managed to get Eren changed into a clean set of clothes, his fever was causing Eren to sweat so badly that the sheets would be ruined anyway. Plus, Levi's arms were already beginning to ache from carrying the boy's weight, so Levi surrendered and placed Eren on his bed as he was.

 

Once Eren was settled on the bed, top covers temporarily shoved aside, Levi pulled a dagger from his waistband. With steady hands he cut Eren's pant leg around his knee, pulling away the soiled fabric from Eren's cut and dropping it in a bucket. Then Levi stood from the bed to grab another bucket to leave by the head of the bed in case Eren decided he had to vomit again. Luckily the boy's stomach seemed to have calmed somewhat, though his trembling had grown more violent.

 

Levi moved the blankets to cover the majority of Eren's body, leaving only his injured right leg uncovered, and then sat on the edge of the bed by Eren's arm. The only sound in the room other than the never-ending creak of the ship's wood shifting with the waves was Eren's uneven breathing. Levi brushed his fingers through Eren's hair, pushing the strands away from his sweaty face. "I already have enough shit to deal with, you know," Levi said quietly. "I don't need to deal with a brat like you on top of everything else."

 

Eren's breathing calmed ever so slightly as he nuzzled Levi's hand, and Levi figured that was as much of an apology as he was going to get right now with how out of it Eren was. He pulled his hand away when he heard a hand on the doorknob and looked up as Petra entered the room with a bucket full of her supplies. "How is he?"

 

"About the same," Levi said and stood up, allowing Petra to take his place on the edge of the bed.

 

"Could you get a canteen of water and maybe some bread for when I'm done?" Petra requested as she set all of her required items on the bed by Eren's hip. "Auruo was in a foul mood when I went and I didn't have time to argue with him."

 

"Yeah, I'll go," Levi agreed. While he had been exhausted and half-asleep at his desk a short while ago, he felt wide awake now with the urge to take action. "Although I know those sheets are beyond hope now, do try to keep him from throwing up on my bed, would you?"

 

"Just go," Petra shooed him out, already focused on grabbing a flask of alcohol which would initially clean Eren's wound. Levi hesitated by the door when he heard Eren cry out when the alcohol burned his open wound, but he knew Petra was skilled at her art and forced himself out of the door.

 

Auruo was asleep and extremely unhappy to be woken up at such an hour, but shut up quickly enough when he realized it was his captain at the door. Levi got three canteens of water and a basket of bread with a small hunk of cheese before allowing Auruo to return back to bed. By the time Levi made it back to his cabin, Petra had cleaned and bandaged Eren's leg and was now in the process of cleaning up. Levi would still do his own thorough cleaning once Eren was fully dealt with, but he appreciated Petra at least doing a surface clean.

 

He set the water and basket of food on the small end table near his bed and moved closer. Levi could tell that Petra was exhausted, her eyelids heavy as she continued her work. "Go get some sleep," Levi ordered his medic. "You've done everything you can."

 

Petra ignored the order. "Pass me a canteen."

 

Levi plucked the clean cloth from her hands and soaked it with water from one of the canteens himself. "I'll watch over him until dawn," he insisted as he handed the cloth back, Petra placing it across Eren's forehead. By now the kid was either asleep or passed out; Levi couldn't tell which. "Now go."

 

"You're sure...?" Levi gave her a look and Petra sighed, standing up and stretching. "Alright fine, but call me if he gets worse."

 

She threw all of the dirty and used materials into the bucket Levi had already used for the torn fabric of Eren's pants, leaving the clean bucket as an extra for Levi's use. Petra bid him goodnight and left quietly, promising to return his gloves once they were cleaned and come back at first light to check on Eren. Once she was gone, Levi locked his cabin's door and returned to his bed. Eren was deeply asleep and his leg was bandaged well, so Levi pulled the blankets to fully cover Eren's body and then moved away.

 

Levi washed his hands in his basin in the corner with soap and then peeled off his coat and boots. Now that Eren was asleep and tended to, Levi's exhaustion was returning. He didn't even want to look at his pocket watch; he probably only had a few good hours left before the dawn bell would toll. Levi left his shirt and pants on and grabbed one of the spare clean blankets from his storage chest. The couch he had set up under the window overlooking the aft of the ship wasn't the most comfortable, but it beat sleeping on the floor.

 

He spared one last look over Eren's face before removing the cloth and setting it aside to dry. Then Levi blew out the lantern and curled up in his blanket on the couch. With the way he was laying he was staring directly at his bed and the lump under the blankets that was Eren, his breathing finally slower. Levi sent him one last glare before closing his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Fucking brat."


	2. Chapter 2

Levi's eyes flashed open when a scream filled the cabin. He practically fell off the couch in his rush to grab his cutlass where he had left it on his desk the night before, wielding it to a room filled with... absolutely no threats. Levi rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around for the source, his eyes eventually landing on the sight of Eren cowering under the blankets as he tried to shoo away the parrot sitting on his chest.

 

He set his cutlass down and walked closer towards the bed. Levi held out a hand and the parrot hopped up onto his finger, Eren watching with wide eyes. "What is that thing?"

 

"It's a parrot, and his name is Jacques," Levi explained, holding his hand up so that his parrot could settle on his shoulder.

 

"Well, keep it away from me," Eren demanded. "It tried to peck my eyes out!"

 

"Are you touched in the head?" Levi asked seriously. "He was probably just nibbling on your hair." As if to demonstrate, Jacques shuffled closer on Levi's shoulder and tugged lightly on a few strands of Levi's hair that fell around his ear.

 

"Oh," Eren mumbled, not knowing what else to say. Eren's cheeks were flushed, hopefully with embarrassment at his obvious stupidity, though Levi suspected he still had somewhat of a fever. Although Eren seemed more aware than he had a few hours ago, there was still a haze in his green eyes and his skin was covered in a sheen of sweat.

 

"While you're up, you might as well have something to drink," Levi said as he grabbed a canteen and the bread basket from the nearby table. "My medic should be here within the hour to see how you're doing, judging by the light." The sun wasn't up yet, but the sky was beginning to turn gray with the hint of a new day.

 

Levi handed over the canteen to Eren who sat up slightly on his elbows to take careful gulps of water. He tried not to notice the way Eren continued to tremble, instead focusing on tearing a hunk of bread off to pass over to Eren. It took a few minutes but Eren managed to eat the chunk of bread and have a few good sips of water before he handed the canteen back and lay down on the bed. Levi was about to stand up and return to the couch for as much sleep as he could get when Eren rolled onto his side and curled up around Levi, releasing a noise that sounded distinctly like a purr. "This is a nice dream," Eren said happily.

 

There was no point in correcting Eren since the boy was clearly halfway between his feverish daze and sleep. Instead Levi just ignored Eren and stood from the bed. He set the canteen aside and then led Jacques back onto his perch. For the most part Levi let his parrot move around freely in his cabin, and he knew Jacques would stay out of the way as Levi lay back down on his couch and closed his eyes.

 

It wasn't nearly long enough in Levi's mind before he heard a quiet knocking at his door. It was harder for Levi to wake himself up fully this time than it had been when Eren had been screaming, but he dragged himself onto his feet and shuffled over to the door. Petra was there, as expected, and looked just as worn out. "Jacques woke him up a while ago," Levi said as he let her in. "He's still pretty out of it; called everything a dream. But I got some food and water into him."

 

"That's reassuring that he kept the food and water down," Petra said, moving to the bedside and feeling Eren's forehead. "He still has a fever but it looks like his breathing and heart rate has calmed." She pulled the blanket aside to look over Eren's injured leg. "The wound will need to be cleaned and bandaged again, but I'll wait until he's awake. For now I think all of us need more rest."

 

"I should get up to the bridge soon," Levi said.

 

Petra shook her head and tutted. "It's a sailing day; get the sleep while you can. That's an order," she pointed a finger at him. "I'll update Hanji on my way back to my cabin."

 

Although Levi instinctively wanted to argue and get out on deck, his exhaustion still hadn't relinquished its hold. Levi's eyes were drooping and his whole body seemed heavy as he felt the ship sway below him. There was no reason to fight, so as soon as Petra was gone and the door was locked again, Levi was back under his blanket on the couch and fast asleep.

 

#

 

When Levi was woken up by noise again, his head still fuzzy with tiredness and now severe annoyance, Levi could feel his teeth grinding together. He looked over to the bed where Eren was whimpering quietly – though not quietly enough that Levi was able to sleep through the noise. This kid was seriously far more trouble than he could ever be worth. All Levi wanted to do was sleep; was that too much to ask?

 

Levi stood from the couch and stretched out the kinks across his body from sleeping on the narrow couch and then stormed over to his bed. Eren was still whimpering and his breathing was coming in short gasps, though his eyes were clenched closed tightly. “Would you quiet down?” Levi hissed. “Some of us are trying to sleep.”

 

Eren didn’t respond to Levi’s words, but he did give a weak cry and clutch at the blankets around him. “No, please…”

 

Levi realized that Eren must be dreaming or, more specifically, having a nightmare. However, that didn’t make Levi any more forgiving of the fact that he had been woken up _again_ by the brat. He shook Eren’s shoulder hard enough to draw a yelp from the boy as he woke up with a start. Eren blinked up at him blurrily, and with the fever still clinging to Eren’s body, Levi couldn’t guess if Eren remembered who Levi was. “Seriously, shut up,” Levi grumbled. “Or I’ll send you back to sleep in the brig.”

 

“I…” Eren bit his lip, watching Levi with clear confusion. “I’m sorry? I don’t know… where I am?”

 

Levi was getting tired of stating the same facts over and over again when he knew Eren probably wouldn’t remember anything until his fever broke. So Levi reined in his frustration – _barely_. “Just go back to sleep. We both have some explaining to do once you’re better.” Eren looked nervous at the indication that he would be explaining some things as well, but didn’t say anything. Levi could feel his stomach grumbling, dinner long since digested, and as he reached for the bread basket he asked, “Are you hungry?”

 

As if on cue, Eren’s stomach rumbled and he nodded sheepishly. “A little.”

 

Levi grabbed the basket of bread and cheese and two canteens. Levi split up the bread and the cheese equally. Eren sat up on his elbows to nibble at the bread and the cheese carefully, his stomach no doubt still a little sensitive. They each sipped from a separate canteen until the food was gone, and then Levi stood up to put the canteen and empty basket away.

 

“Will you stay?” a meek voice requested from the bed when Levi began to move further away.

 

Levi paused and turned back, watching as Eren wrapped himself back up in the mound of blankets. “Why would you want me to do something like that?” Levi was a dreaded pirate captain, infamous across the seas; most people didn’t wish for his company.

 

Only Eren’s head wasn’t covered by the blankets, green eyes soft and imploring. “You make me feel safe…” Eren hesitated. “I haven’t felt safe for a long time.”

 

‘ _I don’t give a shit_ ’ was on the tip of Levi’s tongue but then he hesitated. Eren’s words were very telling, though not enough to provide the whole story. Not that Levi _cared_ or anything. So what if the brat had a shitty past? Plenty of other working class kids and urchins did too; dead parents, abusive employers, debilitating diseases. None of it was new to Levi’s ears.

 

Being the captain of the ship meant that he had larger rooms and a wider bed than anyone else on the ship. While his bed still wasn’t as large as some of the beds he had stayed in on shore, it was wide enough for two people to lie side by side. Still, that didn’t mean he had any intention of sleeping next to a snivelling stowaway. “You’re on your own, kid.”

 

“ _Please_?”

 

“Just quiet down and let me sleep,” Levi practically begged in return. He purposefully looked away from Eren’s big, green eyes. “I’ll be sleeping _right_ over there,” he motioned to the couch, “and the room is _locked_ , for fuck’s sake.”

 

Eren looked over at the couch and then rolled onto his side, back presented to Levi who rolled his eyes at the childish reaction and walked away. Eren presumed too much to ask Levi to lie down beside him, as if Levi actually _cared_ about Eren’s comfort and happiness. As soon as Levi’s curiosity about how the stowaway managed to sneak onto his ship without detection, Eren was getting his ass dumped in the nearest port – or the sea, depending on how quickly the last threads of Levi’s patience frayed. Thankfully Eren said nothing else and Levi was able to curl up on the couch and drift back to sleep almost immediately.

 

#

 

“Well isn’t that just precious?” a familiar voice cooed. Someone else giggled.

 

Levi cracked an eye open to glare at who he knew must be intruding – only Hanji had a key to his cabin for emergencies. As expected, Hanji was grinning down at him with Petra standing a step behind zher, trying to quiet her laughter behind a hand. “What the fuck are you doing in here, four-eyes?” Levi groaned.

 

“You mean besides the fact that the midday bell has already tolled and we figured you had to be dead if you hadn’t shown up on the bridge yet?” Hanji rested a hand on zher hip. “Petra wanted to check to make sure you hadn’t killed the kid in his sleep. Clearly, we should not have been concerned.”

 

Hanji’s eyes flashed with mischief. “What the hell are you on about?”

 

“Your new companion,” Hanji said with a smirk, eyes glancing downward.

 

Levi rolled onto his side and looked over the edge of the couch. There, on the floor and bundled up in half of the blankets torn from Levi’s bed, was Eren, fast asleep. “Fucking brat,” Levi muttered. He didn’t know when Eren had moved over to lie on the floor by Levi’s couch; he thought Eren had fallen asleep as quickly as Levi had.

 

He was about to give Eren a good kick on the head but stopped when Petra moved closer, touching Levi’s shoulder. “Leave him,” she requested. “Sleep will do him more good than anything else right now.”

 

“That doesn’t mean I appreciate him trailing behind me like a lost pup!” Levi said. Still, rather than purposefully stepping on Eren as he had initially planned, Levi put in a little extra effort to step around Eren as he got off the couch. Hanji and Petra were watching him closely as Levi tugged his shirt back down when he realized it had ridden up while he slept. “The kid kept crying and having nightmares. I didn’t tell him he could lay near me.”

 

“Uh huh, sure,” Hanji rolled zher eyes. “So are you ever going to join me on the bridge or are you just going to take your new companion back to bed and cuddle for the rest of the day?”

 

“I clearly wasn’t—!” Levi began and then cut himself off. Hanji always tried to get a rise out of him but it wasn’t worth indulging zher right now. Levi just wanted to get some lunch and get out into the sun and sea air to get some work done. “Forget it. I’ll be there shortly. Who’s at the wheel now?”

 

“I left Moblit in charge when Petra came requesting my assistance to come check on you,” Hanji said. “I should get back. See you up there, Captain.”

 

Levi waved zher off and then turned his attention back to Eren as Petra knelt in front of Eren. “Could you help me move him back to the bed?” Petra requested.

 

Levi snorted. “Forget it. He chose to sleep on the floor.”

 

Petra gave Levi an exasperated look but must’ve realized it wasn’t worth arguing in that moment; Eren seemed to be sleeping contently where he was and the blankets were thick enough to take some of the pain away from lying on the floorboards. “Do you mind if I stay here for a bit and watch over him? I’ll need to clean and re-dress his wound again shortly.”

 

“Take your time,” Levi said. “I need some fresh air though. Oh, and grab some of my spare clothes and get him changed into something half-decent when he’s awake.”

 

“Aye captain, I’ll come find you if there’s any update,” Petra promised. Already she was pulling out her supplies, attention no longer on Levi.

 

Levi walked across the room to pull on his bandana, hat, cutlass and coat, leaving Petra to her work. Jacques was preening himself on his perch, his food dish nearly empty. Levi refilled the food and poured some fresh water from one of the canteens into his water dish. Once Jacques had had some food he flew to Levi’s shoulder where he perched contently.

 

When Levi was back out on the bridge, sun warming his body and sea breeze tugging at the stray hairs not tucked under his bandana and hat, he felt more relaxed. He couldn’t really explain why he had done so much to help the stowaway on his ship – offered up his own bed and helped him get food and water. And rather than try to come up with an answer he didn’t have, it was easier for Levi to fall back into his work as he commanded his ship from the bridge.

 

They were on their way to Bridgetown, a port city where they could sell some bounty, restock and rest before their next venture without the Navy poking their nose into everything. By then Levi planned to have the old man’s maps and journal deciphered. He had his eye set on a treasure that until recently Levi had believed was nothing more than legend; a ring that would allow the wearer to command the winds. With the Navy growing more prominent and pushy in these waters, being able to control the winds would be a pleasant advantage to possess.

 

Levi took the wheel for a while, giving Hanji a break as zhe left the bridge to tour the ship, making sure everyone was a their posts. Levi didn’t mind; he preferred being alone at the helm with just the surf and the wind echoing in his ears. While he tolerated the company of his first mate and other close team, Levi wasn’t much for spending extended periods of time in the company of others.

 

At one point Petra left his rooms and gave Levi an update, letting him know that she had re-dressed Eren’s wound, gotten him changed into clean clothes, and given him more water. Eren was still somewhat out of it, and had asked where Levi was when he had been woken up. Levi refused to comment on this additional fact. Petra assured him that Eren looked like he was recovering well and had gone back to sleep in Levi’s bed after talking with Petra.

 

“He’ll probably sleep most of the day,” Petra said. “His body will be fighting the infection.”

 

“Is there anywhere else we can move him for tonight?” Levi wondered.

 

“You haven’t seemed to mind his company too much so far.” Levi sent Petra a warning look and her cheeks reddened. “I still think your cabin is the best option, Captain. There’s no sense putting in this much effort trying to help him recover only to move Eren somewhere where he might catch further infection and ruin our work.”

 

Levi kept his eyes forward, though he wasn’t watching anything in particular. “Fine. But we’re moving him back to the brig as soon as his fever breaks.”

 

Petra gave a huff of annoyance but said nothing further, instead excusing herself back to her cabin in the lower decks. Eventually Hanji returned and updated Levi on the status of each station in the ship, assuring him that everything was in top form. “With the winds this strong we should arrive in Bridgetown by tomorrow’s sunset,” Hanji mused. Over half a day early.

 

Levi grunted his agreement; the winds had certainly been favourable since they had left Port Sinai. “We’ll give everyone a few days on shore before we pack up again.”

 

“A few days?” Hanji repeated. “Before you were telling me we’d just stay for the night. What could have possibly improved our grumpy captain’s mood so much?” Zher voice turned singsong. “Or should I say, _who_?” Without a verbal response Levi swept his leg out to the side, knocking Hanji’s feet from beneath zher. Hanji tumbled to the deck with a groan, but picked zherself up a moment later without any apparent injury. Now zhe looked even more amused. “Touchy.”

 

Jacques gave a displeased squawk in Levi’s ear for the sudden movement and began preening his feathers. While Levi normally let Jacques stay outside with him, trusting Jacques to remain somewhere on the ship, the winds were continuing to pick up and he was worried about his parrot getting swept away. “Take the wheel,” Levi told Hanji and then headed back towards his cabin, ignoring Hanji cooing after him about wanting to ‘check in’ on Eren.

 

Eren was still asleep in bed when Levi re-entered the room and led Jacques to his perch. Jacques moved without complaint, continuing to preen his feathers which had been ruffled by the breeze. Levi didn’t even look over at the boy asleep in his bed as Levi headed back out to the bridge.

 

Levi had dinner with Hanji and the other officers and then took the wheel while Hanji completed another round of the ship to ensure everyone was completing their final tasks for the day before shifts would rotate and the night crew would take over the decks. The sun had slipped below the waves now, the brightest of the stars sparkling far overhead and assuring Levi of his trajectory. Levi breathed in deep; these were the moments he cherished.

 

A throat was cleared hesitantly behind him. Levi looked over his shoulder and saw Eren standing a few paces behind him, dressed in Levi’s clothes and with one of Levi’s bed sheets wrapped around his shoulders like a cloak. “You shouldn’t be out here,” Levi said. “If you get yourself sicker then we’re just going to chuck you overboard and be done with you.”

 

Eren shuffled closer until he stood by Levi’s elbow, favouring his right leg. “You’re the captain…” Eren mumbled. “The last day seems really hazy, but I think I remember someone calling you that.”

 

“I also told you that myself,” Levi said. “I’d say you’re an idiot – which you are – but you’ve also had a fever.” Levi considered checking Eren’s forehead to see if the fever had broken, but he didn’t want anyone walking up on the bridge and seeing his hand on the stowaway’s face.

 

“So you’ve been taking care of me?” Eren wondered. Although Eren was probably only eighteen, ten years Levi’s junior, Eren was still a good few inches taller as he blinked down at Levi.

 

“Fuck no,” Levi shot back. “My chief medic, Petra, has been taking care of you.”

 

“Oh…” It was difficult to tell in the swaying lamplight, but it looked like Eren was blushing. “Wasn’t I sleeping in the captain’s quarters though? It looked very nice.”

 

“As if I had a choice,” Levi said. “My bed was usurped.”

 

“Sorry,” Eren whispered, barely audible over the surf. He shuffled his feet and then rested more of his weight on his left leg.

 

“You should go back inside,” Levi said. “I’m only getting you taken care of so you don’t die before answering my questions.”

 

“But… I’m hungry.”

 

“Well you should’ve thought about that before stowing away on my ship,” Levi pointed out. “Maybe if you answered my questions we could look into finding you some food.” Yesterday Levi had been planning on pitching Eren over the rail into the water. Such an action seemed wasteful now after taking the time to nurse Eren back to health, so they could probably dump him in Bridgetown when they made port.

 

“What do you want to know?” Eren hedged.

 

“Why you’re on my ship, and how,” Levi rested his gaze fully on Eren. Levi ran a tight ship; not many managed to sneak aboard on their own.

 

"I snuck on board when you were docked at Port Sinai," Eren said. "With all the fighting and confusion no one noticed me."

 

Levi let go of the wheel momentarily and crowded Eren against the railing surrounding the front-most part of the bridge around the wheel. Despite Eren being taller naturally, Levi stood above Eren as he cowered. "People don't just get on my ship without being noticed. Did you have help?"

 

"I—"

 

"Oh! Am I interrupting something?" Hanji's voice was coy as zhe climbed the stairs to join them on the bridge. Zher eyes flashed between Levi and Eren critically.

 

"There's nothing to interrupt," Levi insisted, though he refused to budge.

 

"I beg to differ," Hanji retorted.

 

"Eren was just about to tell me how he managed to sneak on board without anyone noticing before Auruo found him in the hold," Levi drawled, as though they were discussing the tides over afternoon tea.

 

"Well I must admit that I am quite curious about that myself," Hanji said and stepped closer, zher arms crossed over zher chest. "Do tell. Being around our grouchy captain every day, I could use a good story."

 

“I, um…” Eren swallowed. “Well there were a lot of your people on the pier and in rowboats so I swam out to your ship and climbed up one of the ropes used to lift your rowboats.”

 

Levi’s eyes narrowed. “You expect me to believe that you swam out to my ship in the bay, climbed up a rope, and slipped down into the hold all on your own?”

 

Eren trembled noticeably, though this time Levi had a feeling it wasn’t because of the boy’s infection. “Yes.”

 

“Give the kid a break,” Hanji interjected. “It already looks like he’s going to shit himself.”

 

Making a disgusted face at the thought, Levi took a step back. Still, he kept Eren pinned in place with a glare. “Why should I believe you?”

 

Some of the spitfire attitude Levi had witnessed down in the hold when he had demanded the kid’s name – before the fever had dulled his senses – began to return to Eren’s face. His expression hardened with determination and his eyes sharpened. Even his voice was a bit stronger, no longer meek and soft. “Because it’s the truth! And to answer your other question, the reason why I’m on your stupid boat is because my leg was hurting and I knew I couldn’t get far on my own.”

 

“It’s not a boat, it’s a _ship_ ,” Levi said.

 

“Whatever the hell it is, I’ll be happy to be off it and away from _you_!” Eren cried.

 

Eren’s dramatic exit was ruined by his noticeable limp, and the fact that Eren’s retreat took him right back into Levi’s cabin. The door slam just added to Levi’s aggravation. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full,” Hanji said.

 

“He’ll be off this ship as soon as we’re in Bridgetown,” Levi said, assuring himself of this fact as well, and strode back to the wheel.

 

He was so annoyed that he delayed going to bed, staying at the wheel long after Hanji bid him goodnight. The person in charge of steering on the night shift didn’t even ask why Levi was still there; he had learned by now that when Levi was at the wheel halfway into the night, he wasn’t in an ideal mood. Eventually Levi had to surrender to his tiredness though, and gave up the wheel to Erd.

 

Levi didn’t know what sort of confrontation to expect when he returned to his cabin, and was relieved when he saw that Eren was not only asleep, but had moved to the couch and left Levi’s bed for him. It took a few long minutes for Levi to strip the bed of the sheets covered in sweat and bread crumbs ( _gross_ ) and re-make the bed with a new set of sheets. But it was worth it when Levi changed into a new set of clothes and slid into bed, feeling the crisp, clean sheets wrapping around him as he fell easily into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a ringing echoing in the distance, paired with an incessant banging that had Levi’s eyebrows furrowing with displeasure. For a brief moment Levi thought he was having an annoyingly unpleasant dream, but then awareness came to him in a rush. That was _The Captain’s Killer_ ’s alarm bell. Levi’s eyes flashed open and he threw the bed sheets aside, racing to the door. Hanji was there, looking relieved when zhe could stop hammering on the door.

 

“What’s going on?” Levi asked, wide awake. He looked beyond Hanji’s shoulder to the ship teeming with his crew.

 

“ _The Inquisitor_ is hot on our tail and closing fast,” Hanji informed him. “Get out here quick. I need to get back to the wheel.”

 

Hanji was gone quickly and Levi ducked back into his cabin. He yanked on his hat and coat, equipping his cutlass and slipping a pistol into his belt. The bell was still ringing constantly beyond the cabin walls and Eren was stirring, looking around with blurry eyes. “What’s’at?”

 

“The Navy,” Levi growled with distaste. “Stay in here. I don’t need you getting in the way.”

 

Eren’s eyes widened but he didn’t argue, and Levi headed out to the bridge. He grabbed the spyglass from Hanji’s pocket and moved to the aft of the ship at the top level. Although _The Inquisitor_ was still a fair distance behind them, it was easy to spot the shape of the Navy’s flagship through the spyglass. Levi cursed and returned to the wheel. “What does that fucker want now?”

 

“Maybe he misses you,” Hanji teased, though zhe didn’t laugh as zher attention remained focused on the wheel and the crew around them.

 

“Tch.” Erwin Smith, commander of the Navy’s flagship, had developed an unhealthy fixation on Levi. They had first run into each other four years prior when Levi was to be hanged for piracy. Levi had seen the tall blonde man across the courtyard as the crowd was read Levi’s crimes, though Levi hadn’t know who he was at the time.

 

The hanging had been interrupted by the sound of cannon fire and the spectators had scattered, Levi led roughly back to his cell where he was put while the threat had been dealt with. Hanji knew well enough to beat it out of the bay after letting a few cannonballs fly. Zhe wouldn’t let _The Captain’s Killer_ fall into Navy hands while in temporary command; zhe just needed to make a big enough distraction to postpone the hanging.

 

A short while later while the rest of the King’s men were scattering and shitting their pants over the cannon fire, Levi had heard the squeal of rusty door hinges in the dungeon. Polished boots had clicked on the stone steps and a moment later that same blonde man was standing in front of him. They had studied one another through the bars of Levi’s cell for a few long, heavy seconds.

 

“Was that your doing?” the man asked eventually.

 

“Yeah, I magically set off a few cannons while on the hangman’s podium,” Levi bit off sarcastically. He hadn't even gotten off his cell bed; the man wasn’t worth the effort or time.

 

“I’m Erwin,” he had introduced, undeterred by Levi’s sharp tone. “Commander of _The Inquisitor_.”

 

Levi had turned his gaze up to the ceiling, feigning disinterest. “I didn’t ask for your name. Or your title.”

 

“No, you didn’t,” Erwin agreed. “But I’d like to speak with you about a possible employment opportunity with the King’s Navy.”

 

Levi snorted unattractively through his nose. “What would the King’s Navy want with me?”

 

“While our ships are well-built, those who command them lack experience,” Erwin had explained. “You have shown plenty of experience in both command and hands-on tasks on a ship. We need that.”

 

“You’ve been watching me?” Levi surmised. Obviously he had been aware of the near run-ins _The Captain’s Killer_ had had with various Navy ships in the waters, but he had never been this close to a Navy prettyboy before.

 

“I’d like you to sail with me,” Erwin had stated. “And once you have gained some trust, you can have your own ship under the safety of the King’s banner.”

 

“I already have my own ship, and I like it just fine,” Levi had brushed Erwin’s offer aside. “I didn’t sign up for this job for a sense of _safety_ , and I’d prefer my banner over the King’s tacky one any day.”

 

“I’ll convince you otherwise,” Erwin insisted, jaw set with determination and eyes dancing with anticipation. Levi didn’t like that look very much. Before he had been able to retort or Erwin could say anymore, he heard a voice calling for Erwin from the dungeon’s entrance. Erwin’s gaze barely flickered away from Levi for more than an instant. “I’ll be back soon.”

 

Levi had sat up on his bed and watched Erwin disappear, tracking the sound of his boots on the stone and the rusty door squealing again as it closed. Then Levi stood up fully and pulled a key from his pocket – the one he had already snuck from one of the prison guards when they were dragging him back down off the podium in their rush. “What an idiot,” Levi had muttered to himself as he opened the door of his own cell and walked the opposite direction through the dungeon to one of the trapdoors built into the wall in case the fort ever got compromised. He hadn’t even given a backwards glance in Erwin’s direction.

 

Yet the man hadn’t stopped his pursuit and it was really starting to piss Levi off. “I will skewer that man, I swear,” he made a promise to himself.

 

“Well it looks like you’ll get your chance today,” Hanji said. “We know from experience that we can’t match the breadth of their sails. They’ll be on us soon.”

 

“Are the guns loaded?” Levi questioned.

 

“Gunther and Erd are already on it,” Hanji nodded. “Shall I change course?”

 

Levi remained by the railing, his eye fixed on _The Inquisitor_ through the spyglass. “Hold steady for now. They’ve never used their forward guns before so I’m sure Erwin is just looking for another _chat_ ,” he spat. “We’ll use that to our advantage.”

 

His crew spent a few more minutes rushing around the deck, preparing for possible battle and getting into position. Then the deck was swept up in a tense silence, everyone filled with nervous anticipation. Only the sound of the surf against the hull and the wind in the sails filled the passing minutes, Levi tracking _The Inquisitor_ as it slowly but surely gained on _The Captain’s Killer_.

 

“Are they close?”

 

“Fucking hell, Eren,” Levi jumped slightly when Eren startled him, having snuck up behind him while Levi was focused on the Navy’s flagship behind them. He whirled on the younger boy, eyes narrowed. “I told you to stay in the cabin.”

 

Eren’s eyes narrowed in return. “I’m not just going to hide away from a fight.”

 

“It’s not your fight,” Levi shot back.

 

“You took me in and stopped me from dying,” Eren argued. “I want to fight for this ship too.”

 

“I didn’t ‘take you in’. _You_ snuck on board and _Petra_ is the one who insisted we keep you from dying,” Levi said.

 

Eren crossed his arms. “I’m not leaving.”

 

With a huff Levi turned back to look out of his spyglass. “Whatever kid. Just stay out of the way.” _The Inquisitor_ was so close now that he could make out Erwin on his own bridge, watching Levi with his own spyglass gleaming in the sunlight. “Fucking asshole.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Brat, what did I just say?” Levi turned to Eren; not because he cared what the kid said, but because he felt distinctly uncomfortable watching Erwin watch him in return.

 

Eren stood tall. “I’m not in the way.”

 

“No, but you’re being a real pain in my ass,” Levi said.

 

“So were you talking about me?” Eren raised an eyebrow.

 

“Actually, the world and my attention do not revolve around you,” Levi held his spyglass in his hand. _The Inquisitor_ was close enough now that he didn’t need the spyglass. “Come on,” he gave the kid a half-hearted wave to follow behind him as Levi headed back to the wheel. “If we stand out here in the open, Commander Asshole might decide to send off a few warning shots.”

 

Eren stood at the railing for another tense moment, eyeing the Navy ship closing in on them, and then raced to stay on Levi’s heels. “Orders, Captain?” Hanji looked to him.

 

They were still half a day’s sail from Bridgetown, and even if they were closer it wouldn’t matter. There was no way to outrun Erwin’s ship, however much it angered Levi to admit that fact. Erwin was in fact the only Navy higher-up Levi had encountered who kept a skilled-enough reign over his ship to keep up with Levi in the open water. And unfortunately _The Inquisitor_ had enough guns to sink _The Captain’s Killer_ if Erwin chose.

 

“Looks like I’ll need to use my charm to get us out of this one,” Levi drawled. He would need to take advantage of Erwin’s fascination with him; after all his efforts, Levi doubted Erwin would rush to sink his desired prodigy.

 

Hanji snorted obnoxiously. “We’re all fucked.”

 

“Bind the sails and drop the anchor,” he yelled to his crew spread across the ship. “But stay close to the sails,” he added in case they got an opportunity to try to slip out of Erwin’s grasp. Erd repeated the orders and oversaw as everyone scrambled to get their tasks completed. As soon as the sails were bound the ship began to slow, not benefiting from the sharp breeze blowing across the waves. By then the dropping of the anchor didn’t cause too much of a jolt, Levi not wanting any of the wood on his hull to splinter.

 

As the anchor caught the ground, _The Captain’s Killer_ shuddered and began to turn in the water. Across the waves Levi could hear the echo of Erwin’s own shouts as he ordered his ship to pull alongside Levi’s. Levi touched a hand to the hilt of his cutlass but did not draw it, watching as _The Inquisitor_ edged in beside them. Although the two ships were not so close that a gangway could be placed between them, they were within viewing and shouting distance.

 

“Ahoy!” Erwin took off his hat to salute Levi as they eyed each other across the space between their two ships. Hanji stood strong on Levi’s right with zher two pistols resting on zher hips, while Eren stood uselessly on Levi’s left. Across the water Levi could see that Erwin’s first mate, Mike, was close at his Commander’s elbow.

 

“How many more times do I have to tell you ‘no’?” he called out to Erwin.

 

“Always at least once more.” Levi could imagine the flash of the man’s teeth as he smiled.

 

“What do you want now, old man?” Levi leaned almost lazily against the railing. “Doesn’t the commander of the King’s flagship have better things to do than chase after me all the time?”

 

“As a matter of fact I do, which is why I’m here,” Erwin said. “You have a stowaway on your ship and I’m here to collect him.”

 

Levi sent Eren a sidelong glance and saw the way Eren shrunk at the sudden attention. “How does he know you’re here? Did you lead him to us?” Levi accused under his breath.

 

“I—not intentionally!”Eren stuttered.

 

“So is that why you’re a stowaway? Sentenced to hang or something like that?” Levi raised an eyebrow.

 

He felt a little unsettled when Eren met his gaze strongly and said, “Worse.” What could be worse than being hanged at the neck until dead? Levi was about to turn his attention back to Erwin but Eren latched onto his arm, clutching tightly and his eyes imploring. “I’ll tell you everything, I promise. Just don’t give me over to them.”

 

“I won’t endanger the lives of everyone on my ship just for some snotty kid,” Levi said. Although Levi hated the idea of giving in to Erwin, he knew denying Erwin’s demand would likely lead to _The Captain’s Killer_ getting blown to smithereens.

 

“The ring you’re looking for,” Eren offered in a rush, desperate now. “I know where it is. I can show you.”

 

Levi wanted to know how the hell Eren knew about that – perhaps the kid had snuck a glance at the maps and journal on Levi’s desk – but now wasn’t the time to ask. Erwin had given them a few seconds to talk amongst themselves, perhaps because of his odd infatuation with Levi, but that wouldn’t last for much longer. Levi looked the opposite direction to Hanji. Zher opinion was clear on zher face but Levi knew Hanji would await his final decision. Levi could feel a headache coming on. “Finders keepers, Erwin,” he shouted after another moment of deliberation. “He’s ours now, so you can piss off.”

 

“I would strongly recommend you reconsider,” Erwin shouted back. He almost sounded genuinely disappointed. “I cannot let you leave without that creature locked away on my ship.” Maybe he saw the look of sudden confusion on Levi’s face at that word ( _creature?_ ). “Oh, did he not tell you? He’s hiding so much and yet you still protect him. Be careful or a lot of people could end up dead because of you, Captain.”

 

Levi felt his jaw ache as he ground his teeth together. He didn’t like the thought that any of his crew could come to harm because of his command, and he hated Erwin insinuating that it would happen even more. All because of this brat who had been keeping secrets. A small, rational part of Levi’s mind reminded him that Eren had barely been conscious because of his fever and hadn’t been in a state to give any details. A larger part of his mind was focused on the ring Eren promised to direct him to. However, he still had to consider the safety of his crew.

 

Eren leaned closer and muttered in his ear, determined now. “If you release the sails now we can get away before they can sink us.”

 

“We can’t outrun them,” Levi snapped.

 

“We can,” Eren insisted. “With me, we can. Trust me.”

 

“Trust you?” Levi said in disbelief. “With all your secrets?”

 

“If we get out of this alive then they won’t be secrets anymore. But if you hand me over to them, you’ll never be able to outrun them ever again,” Eren eyes flashed. “You’ll never be free.”

 

Levi pursed his lips and then leaned over to Hanji, voice still quiet so it wouldn’t carry. “Get them to raise anchor and then get a boat ready.” The ship’s anchor was on the starboard side of the ship where Erwin couldn’t see it being raised.

 

“Don’t do this!” Eren yelled, backing away now. But there was nowhere to run and hide on Levi’s ship. “ _Please_! Don’t give me over to them! They’ll torture me!”

 

Eren cried out with pain when Levi pursued him and dug his fingers into Eren’s brown hair, clutching tightly and yanking him back towards the middle of the bridge. “You don’t expect me to just give up a prize you seem to want so desperately for _nothing_ , do you?” he called out to Erwin across the water, watching out of the corner of his eye as Hanji gave the orders to a deckhand and then got two other crew members to help zher with prepping one of the rowboats to be lowered.

 

Eren was fighting him and Levi felt his wrist aching but he didn’t let go. He twisted his hand and with another cry Eren sunk to his knees, trying to alleviate some of the pain from his hair being yanked. “Name your price, Captain,” Erwin offered.

 

Levi was shocked; this kid must be more valuable than he originally thought. “You leave me, my crew, and my ship alone. _Forever_ ,” he emphasized.

 

Erwin didn’t look pleased at the idea, but it appeared that he needed Eren more badly than he wanted Levi. “Very well, I accept your terms. We’ll come over and collect him presently.”

 

“No you fucking won’t,” Levi said quickly. “You’re not stepping foot on my ship. I’m already getting a boat ready,” he waved a hand towards where Hanji was working on the boat. “Just be patient.”

 

“Patient is all I am,” Erwin said, his smile a bit dangerous.

 

“Levi _please_ , you’re making a mistake,” Eren begged, tears in his eyes from the pain as Levi began to drag him down the stairs by his hair.

 

Levi withdrew his pistol and pointed the barrel at Eren’s head. “Stand up, for fuck’s sake. Don’t make me drag you across the whole deck.”

 

Eren sent him a murderous look as he stood slowly, again favouring his right leg. “You’ll regret this.”

 

He got a nod from one of his deckhands on the starboard side of the deck; the anchor was raised. “I certainly hope not,” Levi told Eren sincerely before looking to his crew standing ready by the lines holding the sails closed. “Release all sails!”

 

“Levi, don’t do this!” Erwin bellowed, but it was already too late.

 

As the sails unfurled Eren seemed to realize that he wasn’t going to get handed over to the Navy. A second after that the open sails caught a huge burst of wind, causing everyone on deck to stumble as the ship cut through the waves at an alarming speed. Levi abandoned Eren where he stood and raced back up the stairs to grip the wheel, taking control of his ship as they quickly left _The Inquisitor_ behind. He didn’t hear any cannon fire pursuing them and Levi had to shake his head; Erwin was going to get himself killed if he kept letting Levi get away like this.

 

However, Levi had to focus on the safety of his ship and crew. Hanji was at his side by now and Levi handed off the spyglass, sending zher to the aft railing. “I can’t even tell if they’re trying to follow us,” zhe updated him. “This wind is insane!”

 

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Levi said, knuckles white as they gripped the wheel and held it steady. Eren was slowly clamouring up the stairs to join them on the bridge, right leg hesitant to hold weight and hand soothing his abused scalp. “Is this your doing?” Levi asked Eren, nodding up to the sails full of air. It seemed like such a foolish question to ask, but it didn’t seem like anything was clear and simple anymore.

 

Eren looked nervous but nodded. “Yeah.”

 

“Well, keep it up,” Levi ordered. “We’ll have to go further up the coast than Bridgetown before we can make port in case Erwin decides he wants to try to follow us. And then…” Levi levelled Eren with a stern look. “You have a lot of questions to answer.”


	4. Chapter 4

Bridgetown came and went in the span of an hour but _The Captain’s Killer_ kept going. Even if Erwin did decide to pursue Levi and the stowaway, Levi wanted to get far enough ahead that they could still relax and sell some goods in port before having to run again. It was hard to tell whether they would see _The Inquisitor_ again soon since it had fallen out of sight in a flash, and Levi didn’t know if Erwin would have to take the time to report an update to anyone.

 

It was early evening when Eren began to fade. The boy had remained on the bridge with Levi, though he hadn’t stood on his injured leg long before moving to sit on the desk, his back against the railing. Levi had kept a sharp eye on Eren for a while but the kid didn’t try to run, merely sat with glassy eyes as the wind billowed in the sails. But now Eren’s eyes were drooping closed, his body looking lethargic. “Keep it up, Eren,” he said. “At this speed we’ll be arriving at Maria’s Cove within the hour.”

 

Eren gave a grunt to show he had heard but otherwise didn’t react. The sails remained full though, and Levi focused on adapting their course to arrive at port as quickly as possible. When he received a call from the crow’s nest indicating that land had been sighted, Levi nudged Eren’s foot with his boot. “That’s enough; you can stop.” He didn’t want anyone at port seeing how quickly they were travelling or asking any questions.

 

With a heaving sigh of relief, Eren rolled over and lay down fully on the deck, curled up in a corner. As far as Levi could tell, the boy was immediately asleep. “The kid’s worn out,” Hanji said as zhe yawned, rubbing sleep from zher eyes as zhe trudged up the stairs to join Levi at the wheel. As soon as _The Inquisitor_ was out of sight, Levi had sent Hanji and the night crew to sleep in preparation for arriving at port.

 

“I don’t feel much better,” Levi grumbled. He wouldn’t mind rolling into his own bed, but there was a lot to deal with before he could do so. “I know everyone is looking forward to docking but I don’t want to linger here. If Erwin is pursuing us and he finds that we’re not in Bridgetown, this will be the next place he checks,” Levi said. “I’ll give everyone a day on shore but then I want to move on.”

 

“I can oversee the ship tonight while you sleep and then we can get everything sold off,” Hanji suggested. “We already have a list of the supplies we need so we could put Petra and Auruo in charge of that.” The sails had calmed now, fluttering in the normal breeze. In the distance Levi could make out the twinkling lights of Maria’s Cove. “What are you going to do with Eren?”

 

Levi sighed. “Chain him to something and then ask him questions tomorrow, based on how exhausted I am.”

 

“I don’t think he’ll run away,” Hanji mused.

 

“I’m not taking a chance,” Levi said. He focused on manoeuvring _The Captain’s Killer_ into port and then made the call to drop anchor. Levi gave his crew the update about how long they would be staying in port, and how shifts would rotate so that everyone got some time on shore. Then he left Hanji in charge and hoisted Eren into his arms with a grunt, carrying him into Levi’s private quarters. While he could’ve chained Eren to the railing, he didn’t want anyone else potentially getting hold of Eren before Levi could ask his questions.

 

Levi set Eren back on the couch and grabbed a pair of manacles from his desk. He hooked one end around the armrest of the couch and the other around Eren’s wrist. Eren gave a grunt of confusion as his eyelids fluttered, but Eren never fully woke up as he settled back against the couch. Whatever it was Eren had done earlier with the wind, it had completely wiped him out. Levi still felt high-strung by the near-encounter with Erwin but he merely changed his clothes and slid into bed, thankful when his thoughts and body calmed.

 

Although he wasn’t normally a dreamer, Levi dreamt deeply that night. He dreamt of unfamiliar shores and a world below deep blue waves. Levi woke in a haze, eyes refusing to open for a few minutes as the memories of his dream played behind his eyes. He swore he could still smell it; the scents of sun, salt and water tickling his nose. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so at peace. Levi moved slightly and grunted when he felt his nose brushing against warm skin.

 

Levi finally peeled his eyes open and glared when he noticed a mop of brown hair on the pillow next to his head. “Eren,” he began dangerously. “What are you doing in my bed?”

 

Eren mumbled nonsensically against the pillow and Levi sat up fully, grabbing Eren’s shoulder and dragging him from his side onto his back. That was enough to wake Eren up fully, who looked up at Levi with shock. “Why are you pinning me to your bed?” he squeaked, cheeks red.

 

“I’m not pinning you to my…” Levi realized how he had his body towering over Eren’s, leaning in close. He could feel the warmth between them and he quickly moved further away. “I want to know why you’re in my bed. I chained you to the couch before I went to sleep.” Levi looked over to the couch where he could see the manacles dangling from the armrest, the metal cuff that had been around Eren’s wrist mangled beyond recognition. He looked back to Eren who seemed to shrink in on himself. “What the fuck are you?”

 

Eren glanced away. “You won’t believe me.”

 

“I don’t know _what_ to believe anymore.”

 

He watched as Eren weathered his bottom lip between his teeth. Then he released a sigh. “I’m a merman.”

 

Levi blinked a few times, trying to wrap his head around that statement. He had seen a lot of things over the years as he sailed the waves, and he couldn’t explain away the wind that had filled his ship’s sails yesterday to spirit them away from Erwin. But… “Shouldn’t you have a tail or something? And gills?”

 

Eren rolled his eyes, looking unimpressed with the question. “When I’m on land I transform to have human legs. It’s only when I’m in the water that I’m in my true form.”

 

Despite himself, Levi felt his curiosity mounting. “Are all…mer-people like that?”

 

“Wait,” Eren studied Levi’s face for a moment. “You _believe_ me?”

 

“I don’t know how else to explain how we escaped Erwin yesterday,” Levi admitted.

 

“Oh, that’s not because I’m a merman,” Eren brushed his comment aside. “But to answer your other question, we’re not sure if all mer-people can transform. Most prefer to avoid the shores so they never test the ability.”

 

Levi thought about how excited Hanji would be with all this knowledge, how he’d probably never see the kid again after handing him over for Hanji’s questioning. But for now his focus was on one thing. “So how did we get away from the Navy?”

 

“That ring you’re looking for?” Eren met Levi’s gaze before looking away again quickly. “I already have it.”

 

Levi placed a hand on Eren’s shoulder, pushing down hard and crowding warningly into Eren’s personal space. “You will give me that ring.”

 

Eren shook his head quickly and squirmed. “No, I won’t! And you can’t make me! It’s for your own good.”

 

“Giving me some control over the wind out here would be for my own good,” Levi argued back. While using one hand to hold Eren down, Levi dropped his other hand to start digging through Eren’s pockets.

 

Eren’s hand shot out and wrapped around the wrist of Levi’s wandering hand, squeezing tightly. The pain was sharp enough to draw a weak gasp from Levi’s lips, and his mind flashed back to the mangled metal chain hanging from the couch. He didn’t want his wrist looking like that. Thankfully at Levi’s sound of pain Eren loosened his hold slightly, no longer causing Levi’s bones to grind together. “Trust me, Levi,” Eren said. “I’d give you the ring if I could but it would kill you to possess it. It’s not made for humans.”

 

“Are you calling me weak?”

 

“I’m saying I don’t want you to die!” Eren shouted. Then his eyes went wide as his cheeks reddened again.

 

Realizing that they had somehow stumbled into dangerous territory, Levi sat back fully and rested his back against the wall. Eren looked at the space between them on the bed and then sat up as well, legs crossed as he fished a long chain from around his neck. When pulled from beneath Eren’s borrowed shirt, Levi could see the ring dangling from the chain. It didn’t look particularly special or pretty. The gold band was tarnished and the pale blue stone embedded into the band was hazy and lacklustre.

 

He reached for it curiously but Eren pulled it back out of his reach, beginning to tuck it beneath his shirt and out of sight. “It can only be wielded by a creature tied to the water or air,” Eren explained. “You are a creature of earth. Please believe me. It will kill you to use it.”

 

“How do I know you’re not just trying to keep it for yourself?” Levi narrowed his eyes, calculating.

 

Eren huffed angrily and stopped putting the ring away, holding it aloft between them. “If you’re really so incapable of believing me then you can see for yourself. But just… _touch_ it,” Eren grew worried again. “Don’t hold it fully. I’ve heard even touching it can cause humans immense pain.”

 

Although Levi wasn’t sure who or what to believe, he was cautious by nature. He carefully held his hand aloft and did as Eren suggested. The pads of his fingers had barely brushed the metal band – warmed from resting against Eren’s skin – before a piercing pain overtook him. Levi yanked his hand back with a curse and then cradled his head in his hands, tears beading in his eyes when it felt like someone had shoved a dagger between his eyes.

 

“I told you!” Eren whispered harshly. Levi was about to bite back some retort when he felt warm fingers turning his face upward. Levi blinked in confusion at Eren through his tears as the boy shuffled closer and cupped the shape of Levi’s neck with his palms. Levi was about to ask what the hell Eren thought he was doing when Eren leaned his forehead against Levi’s. All at once the pain drained out of him, sapped away. “Humans are so stubborn,” Eren complained under his breath, almost to himself.

 

Levi didn’t even respond, focused on the way his body sagged with relief when the pain was taken away. He didn’t move even when the pain was gone, breathing in and out deeply as his body relaxed. “What was that?” he croaked when Eren eventually leaned back.

 

“Some mer-people can heal humans if they’re receptive to it,” Eren explained, sitting back on his heels but hovering closer, as though he was worried the pain might come back. In a rush he tucked the ring away, and Levi no longer had the motivation to pursue it.

 

Levi rubbed his forehead for a moment at the memory of the pain and then studied Eren, yet more questions bubbling up inside him. “So the fact that you’re a… merman,” Levi tested the word. “That’s how you swam out to my ship at Port Sinai?”

 

Eren nodded. “Yeah. I got into the water and I was planning to just swim away but that was when I realized I had cut my leg when escaping. I didn’t know how bad it was but I didn’t think I could get far on my own so I snuck on board your ship, like I told you before.” At the mention of his injured leg, Eren tugged up the hem of his pants to look over the bandaged cut. Levi watched Eren’s fingers brush over the bandages carefully. They couldn’t see the cut, but judging by Eren’s awareness and lack of a fever, the infection was beaten.

 

Levi felt a slight urge to brush his fingers along Eren’s leg, wondering if the skin felt any different since it was hiding a tail – he still had to figure out how to wrap his head around that – but held back. “What were you escaping from? Erwin?”

 

“Not just him,” Eren brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. “That treasure hunter you stole from?” Levi nodded in recognition. “You broke the locks on the trapdoor to get into his basement. You grabbed his maps and journals and then you left.”

 

“How—?”

 

“He had me chained down there,” Eren said. “You wouldn’t have seen me since he kept me in another room, and I didn’t know who you were so I didn’t call out for help.” Eren’s green eyes sought Levi’s own, and Levi couldn’t look way. “But after you left I broke the bonds he had put me in and I ran. I accidentally cut my leg on the broken locks on the trapdoor but the only reason I was able to get out at all was because you came down there.”

 

Levi didn’t like the way Eren was looking at him. “I didn’t go down there for you.”

 

“I know,” Eren grimaced. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful.”

 

Although Levi wasn’t sure it was safe for him to ask any more questions – getting any more involved in the confusing mess that seemed to be Eren’s life – Levi heard himself asking anyway. “Why did he keep you down there?”

 

Eren rested his chin on his knees. “I was injured and washed up on shore, unconscious. He found me and took me in; set me up on a cot in the basement while I healed. To show my thanks I told him stories of legends he wanted to hear about, and he would write them down. But then when I was healed he chained me to the wall and kept me down there, forcing me to tell him where to find other treasures.”

 

It was true that Levi hadn’t gone down in that basement for Eren; hadn’t even had any awareness of Eren’s existence until finding him in the cargo hold of his ship. But Levi couldn’t deny the warm sense of relief in his chest at the knowledge that Eren was no longer chained up in that dank, grimy basement. “The old man had already written a story about the ring in his journal though.”

 

“Well I pretty much despised him,” Eren shrugged. “I wasn’t going to tell the bastard that it was around my neck, was I?”

 

“No, I certainly wouldn’t,” Levi said. “So how does Erwin know about you?”

 

“The Navy has been trying to capture one of us for years. We’re normally careful but I got snagged in one of their nets,” Eren explained. “I was struggling in the net when a few of the crew shot at me. One bullet in my arm and another in my tail. I got away but the pain was bad enough that I passed out after swimming a distance, and woke up on the shore of Port Sinai. How he found out I was there, or on your ship?” Eren shrugged. “No clue.”

 

That was a lot of information to take in, and Levi was certain he’d have more questions once he thought everything over. But for now his stomach was beginning to growl with the desire for food. “I need to get some food,” Levi said and moved off the bed, stretching out his legs and arms. “We’ll only be docked for a few more hours before we have to weigh anchor. I don’t want Erwin catching up anytime soon.”

 

Eren remained seated on the bed, watching Levi move to one of the dressers against the wall. “Can I come too?”

 

Levi gave a light shrug. “I suppose. I need to change first though.” He grabbed a new set of clothes and walked into the adjoined washroom. It was cramped; but the fact that Levi knew he didn’t share the room with anyone else appeased him. Levi wanted to wash his hair but decided he could do that once they had set sail again; he wanted to enjoy the town while they were docked.

 

Eren was seated on the edge of the bed, still in the same clothes that Petra had already grabbed from Levi’s cupboards since Levi hadn’t offered anything else. While Levi had originally been planning to dump Eren off in the nearest port and be done with him, that was no longer an option. On top of the fact that Eren had a lot more questions to answer, plus the ring Levi had been planning to search for, Levi didn’t want to leave Eren on a beach for Erwin to find like a present.

 

Levi put out more food for Jacques, who ate a bit and then flew onto Levi’s shoulder. He saw Eren flinch at the bird’s movements but Levi wanted his parrot to be able to stretch his wings; Jacques wouldn’t fly away when they were in town. However, Levi wasn’t certain he could say the same for Eren. “How do I know you won’t just run off once we’re off the ship?”

 

“It still hurts to stand, let alone run,” Eren explained. As if to prove his point, Eren stood up carefully. He rested his weight on both legs for a moment before wincing, going back to favouring his injured leg. “Besides, where would I go? I don’t know any of these ports.”

 

“You could go back into the water and disappear,” Levi posed, walking closer. As soon as he was close enough, Eren latched onto Levi’s arm on the opposite side from where Jacques was perched. “What are you doing?”

 

“I figure it’ll hurt a little less to walk if I can rest some of my weight against you,” Eren said, cheeks red, and then admitted, “I don’t have anywhere to go back to, Levi. I’m not going to run away.”

 

Levi still wasn’t sure he believed Eren, but he figured this would be a good test. Especially with Eren holding onto his arm, if Eren _did_ try to escape, Levi would be close by and be able to catch him before he got far. “Fine, let’s just go already.”

 

There were a few crew members milling around on deck when Levi led Eren over to one of the row boats. The boat filled with Levi, Eren, and a few other crew members on their way to the shore, everyone in the process of switching shifts. As they approached the docks Levi could see Hanji standing on the dock, waving out to them with a grin on zher face and a basket full of books in zher arms. “Ahoy, Captain!” zhe shouted. Levi could see the way zher eyes moved between him and Eren, but thankfully Hanji didn’t comment. “I told the crew to be back on board by three hours after noon at the latest; hope that’s okay.”

 

Levi nodded his agreement. “That’s a good time. By the time we get underway we’ll still have a few good hours of sun to sail by. We’ll discuss our next destination when we’re back out in open water.”

 

“Aye aye,” zhe saluted playfully. “Enjoy your time on shore,” zhe winked at Eren, who fidgeted at the attention, and then hopped into the rowboat Levi and Eren had just vacated.

 

“Is Hanji always like that?” Eren wondered as he clutched at Levi’s arm a little tighter, both of them walking along the dock and towards the market hugging the shoreline.

 

“Pretty much,” Levi said. By now he had grown accustomed to Hanji’s ways. As they moved closer to the crowds on the streets – the crew of Levi’s ship and other ships as well as locals moving around the markets and going about their day – Eren shrunk closer against Levi’s side. “You’re going to make me trip,” Levi accused with how close Eren was walking to him, his warmth seeping into Levi’s side even through his coat. “Why are you walking so close to me?”

 

“My leg still hurts. Plus, humans haven’t exactly treated me with much kindness,” Eren muttered under his breath.

 

“Need I remind you that you are clutching onto a human?” Levi raised an eyebrow.

 

Eren bit his lip and ducked his head. “You feel different.” Eren didn’t explain further and Levi didn’t feel the need to push. Having Eren this close avoided the chance of Eren getting lost in the crowds. And his presence wasn’t… _horrible_. “You don’t mind?” Eren asked a moment later.

 

“Just don’t trip me,” Levi said and led Eren further into the markets.

 

Eren continued to hold tight onto Levi’s leading arm as they made their way through the bustling crowds, but was willing to let go when Levi bought them some sandwiches and juice and found a bench closer to the water where fewer people walked. They both ate in silence as they watched boats bobbing in the water, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. In fact, Levi found it relieving being able to lounge back against the bench, munching on his food slowly. While on his ship and around his crew Levi had to act like a Captain; with Eren, Levi could just relax and let the time slip away.

 

“I bet you’ve seen a lot of the world,” Eren spoke up at one point, eyes glazed as he watched the waves.

 

“Not as much as I’d like to eventually see,” Levi admitted. “But crossing the ocean can be dangerous. I’m all for adventure, but risk needs to be calculated, and staying by the shores makes more sense.” He thought for a few moments about his ship and his crew; they were the only family he had and he wouldn’t put them in unnecessary risk. Then he glanced over and studied Eren. “I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of the world us humans would never know below the water.”

 

“It’s very beautiful,” Eren said first, though his expression was sad. “But filled with its own dangers.”

 

Levi considered whether he was overstepping boundaries but figured Eren could tell him off if he didn’t want to go into detail. “You mentioned you wouldn’t run away because you have nowhere to go back to.”

 

Eren rubbed the back of his neck, eyes on his lap rather than on Levi or the water. “My dad left when I was young. I don’t know where he went. And my mom died only a few years later to a shark. Normally sharks don’t bother us too much but with humans fishing more in these waters the sharks grow hungry and bold.”

 

Levi swallowed the lump of guilt lodged at the back of his throat. He wasn’t a fishing boat. “There’s no one else?”

 

“No other family,” Eren shook his head. “I had two friends, Mikasa and Armin, but they may be dead. They were with me when we were attacked by the Navy and I ended up injured. I hope that they were not captured and got away, but I have no way of knowing.”

 

“Can’t you go looking for them?”

 

Eren sent Levi a surprised look. “I thought you were worried about me running away.”

 

“Well I would rather keep that ring close by,” Levi admitted, eying the chain against Eren’s collarbone before it disappeared below Eren’s shirt. “But I’m shocked you’re not thinking of jumping ship and swimming away some night.”

 

“If I jumped off your ship and swam away I wouldn’t get far; my cut is still deep,” Eren explained.

 

“So does that mean you’ll disappear as soon as you’re healed?” Levi surmised. Eren was looking anywhere but directly at Levi. “What?”

 

“What if I wanted to stay?”

 

Levi struggled to understand. "Why would you want to?"

 

"I can leave if you want me to," Eren said in a rush.

 

"That's not what I said." Eren finally looked over at Levi, who was still watching Eren in return. "Do you really want to stay aboard my ship?"

 

"Would you let me stay?"

 

"Would you answer my fucking question?"

 

Eren fidgeted with the chain around his neck. "I wish I could find my friends to know if they're safe, but yes, I want to stay on your ship." Eren's eyes didn't waver. "I want to stay with you."

 

Levi still didn't understand why Eren would want to stay with Levi on his ship; Levi had been anything but friendly. Yet the idea of Eren willingly wanting to stay on board his ship pleased Levi. He told himself again and again that it was because he wanted that magical ring close by, not because he was increasingly enjoying these quiet moments alone with Eren where he could relax and just be himself.

 

Levi didn't know what to say to Eren's words so he just stood up from the bench and offered an arm, already knowing Eren would need the added stability with his injured leg. "Hurry up, then. I still have some items to pick up before we head back."

 

Eren grinned up at him as he laced his arm around Levi's offered one. Levi had to look away when the sunlight caught Eren's green eyes, making them sparkle brighter than any jewel Levi had ever found in his years of treasure hunting. He led Eren back to the pier first to pass Jacques off to Petra, who Levi saw leaving market. She accepted the parrot on her shoulder to take back to the ship with her and wished them both a pleasant market visit.

 

Watching Eren as they walked through the market was fun because even though Eren stayed close to Levi's side, especially when a large crowd of strangers brushed by them, Eren's eyes were still wide with curious wonder. Levi stopped at a few stalls to pick up items he needed – a new inkwell, a few sets of clothes for Eren so he’d stop borrowing Levi’s, a new bandana, a new pair of leather gloves and some parchment. He also picked up a bandana made of deep green fabric to match Eren's eyes since he noticed Eren eyeing them while Levi purchased his own. Eren grinned and ducked his head to allow Levi to wind it around his head properly, and as Levi knotted the fabric he allowed a small curl of his own lips.

 

Levi was tired of trying to understand Eren, or Levi's thoughts surrounding the merman. All he knew was that he wanted to impress the boy, and continue to feed that wide-eyed amazement. As Levi was picking out the sheets of parchment he wanted to purchase to slip into the folder provided to him, he took note of Eren slipping away from his arm. Levi looked up but continued inspecting parchment, watching out of the corner of his eye as Eren slinked towards the stall next door.

 

Once he had paid for his parchment and tucked his newest purchase in his bag, Levi moved to stand beside Eren and overlook the vendor's wares. It was a huge collection of jewellery, the metal and jewels sparkling in any sun able to reflect onto the items. Eren was still staring, mouth slightly agape. _Natural-born treasure hunter_ , Levi thought to himself. Aloud, he offered, "Pick something out."

 

Eren looked over at him sharply. "No, I couldn't! It's your money."

 

Levi sent Eren a disbelieving look. The only reason it was his money was because Levi had either stolen it or dug it up. Besides, he had too much money to know what to do with it all, and impressing Eren seemed like a fun way to put his spoils to good use. "Just pick something and it's yours."

 

Eren shuffled a tiny bit closer until their elbows brushed. "What should I get?"

 

Thus entirely defeating the purpose of 'picking something out' himself, but Levi indulged the question. "Well you've already got something to wear around your neck and on your finger if you choose," he mused. "I don't think a bracelet would suit you. Maybe an earring?"

 

"An earring?"

 

To answer the question, Levi brushed a strand of his hair away to reveal his ear – and the tiny gold loop earring he had in his earlobe – to Eren. Eren leaned closer and Levi was just expecting him to study it, which was why he was too surprised to suppress his moan when Eren suddenly sealed his mouth over Levi's earlobe and tongued his earring. Levi's response was an immediate elbow to Eren's ribs, causing him to double over and groan. Levi refused to look down to gauge how tight his pants had quickly become, especially when he saw the old woman behind the stall giving them an amused look.

 

"You need to be taught some fucking etiquette," Levi huffed, shoving his hands in his pockets to avoid the urge to press the heel of his palm against the heat of his crotch. "Pick out a damn earring already and then we're going back."

 

Though he was still holding a hand to his ribs, Eren moved closer and looked over the small collection of earrings near the edge of the stall. In the end Eren picked out a thin gold hoop of his own, which would hug the shape of his earlobe the same way as Levi's. The only difference between their earrings was that Eren's earring had a small braid design worked into the metal. "I like this one," Eren proclaimed.

 

"You should know that I'll have to pierce your ear with a needle to make a hole for the earring," Levi thought to warn. "You can still get something else if you want."

 

Eren looked a little nervous but he held the earring carefully in the palm of his hand. "I've made my choice."

 

Levi could still feel heat pulsing through his veins and a slight dampness on his ear from Eren's tongue, and he shrugged without saying anything else. He handed over the necessary coin to the vendor but didn't let Eren loop their arms together this time, needing some space between their bodies. Eren remained close but didn't grip onto him like before. It probably helped that the crowds had thinned out slightly as the noon-hour rush dispersed. On their way back to the ship Levi bought them a small box of chocolate as a treat for later.

 

He saw Erd directing a few deckhands around, moving cargo down to be stored in the hold. They had sold a good portion of their most recent treasure finds and received a lot of gold and resources in return. Since they had been so successful lately, Levi made sure to get some of his crew to pick up a few boxes of fresh fruit and pastries along with the usual food they kept on board for regular meals. The fruit and pastries wouldn’t last long due to the humid heat in the air, but that wouldn’t be a problem with how quickly everyone would devour their rations.

 

“Erd,” he called and waved the man over. “Find Eren a hammock down in the sleeping quarters. He’ll be staying with us for a while.”

 

Eren shot Levi a betrayed look. “I said I wanted to stay with you.”

 

“You can’t stay in my quarters forever,” Levi reasoned. “You need a place of your own if you’re going to be staying on the ship, especially now that your fever has broken. Once you’re fully healed we’ll find you a job on board.”

 

“But what about my earring?” Eren asked, rushing for some reason not to follow Erd towards the stairs down below deck.

 

“Hanji and I will be busy casting off and plotting our course tonight,” Levi said. “We’ll do your piercing another night. Just eat with the crew tonight. Erd will show you around.”

 

Eren gave Levi a wounded look but slunk away to follow Erd down the stairs. Levi watched until the boy’s hair, pushed back with his new green bandana, disappeared from view before finally turning to drop off his new purchases in his cabin and then joining Hanji on the bridge to begin planning their next move.


	5. Chapter 5

Levi was half-asleep at his desk when he heard noise beyond his door. First there was a pounding of footsteps, a few shouts, and then a frantic knocking at his door. Levi grabbed his pistol from his tabletop and strode towards the door, pace speeding up when he heard Eren’s frantic voice and then Hanji’s angry one:

 

“Hanji! Levi!”

 

“Get the fuck away from him!”

 

“What the hell is going on out here?” Levi yelled above the noise as he pulled his door open with enough force for it to bang warningly against the wall.

 

A freeze frame lit up by lanterns swaying with the waves awaited him. Hanji stood near the wheel, remaining at zher post but with a pistol aimed at the heads of two crew members who were halfway down the stairs, both gripping one of Eren’s ankles. Eren was on the deck and dragged halfway down the stairs, lip split with blood trickling down his chin with other bruises already starting to form on his jaw and neck.

 

Levi knew that the sudden rage he felt at the sight of Eren’s wounds had nothing to do with the fact that Eren possessed the magical ring. He took a few more steps closer, knuckles white where they gripped the handle of his pistol at his side. “Is no one going to answer me?” his voice was deadly.

 

“Eren ran by me so quick I barely noticed him,” Hanji spoke first. “He pounded on your door when these two,” zher pistol’s aim had not once wavered from their heads, “came rushing up behind him and tried to drag Eren back down the stairs. Must not have seen me at the wheel.”

 

Similar to the aim of Hanji’s pistol, Levi’s gaze had not left his two crewmembers who looked about ready to shit themselves. “And what do you two have to say for yourselves? You better have a good fucking answer considering what I’m seeing now.”

 

“I-I-Captain, sir…” one of them, Walt, began.

 

“Don’t _sir_ me,” Levi snapped back. “Why were you dragging Eren away down the stairs?”

 

“Why does it matter?” Hugh, the younger one with way too much attitude and not enough brains grumbled. “The weakling can’t even take a punch without running off to you for help.”

 

Levi took a deep, steadying breath. Both men let go of Eren’s ankles then, perhaps finally realizing how seriously in shit they were. “It matters,” Levi spoke evenly, “because Eren is a part of my crew the same as both of you.”

 

“But he’s a… a _creature_ ,” Hugh hissed the word. “We heard Erwin say so himself! You’re siding with a _thing_ over us?”

 

“He’s not a _thing_ ,” Levi said through gritted teeth. “You call him a creature but it's the two of you clutching at his ankles like a pair of rabid dogs. And it’s not you versus him. You are all my crew and you are all under my protection.” Hugh looked like he was going to argue again so Levi cut him off. “What did I do to Samuel when he drowned Yates with no cause?”

 

“Threw him overboard,” Walt offered hesitantly.

 

“And what did I do to Hastings when he attacked Petra?” Levi continued on. He wanted to look at Eren, assess how he was handling this and reassure him that this was almost over, but he didn’t look away from the two attackers.

 

“Cut his dick off,” Hugh muttered, eyes growing wider with fear.

 

“You’re damn fucking right I did,” Levi said. "Consider this your one and only warning. Eren is not a _creature_. He's _crew_. Now get the fuck out of my sight, and don't let me see either you again for at least a week." Not an easy task considering they were all on the same ship, but Levi trusted that the pair of them were scared enough to make it happen. " _Go_."

 

They ran so quickly that they nearly tripped over their own feet, ducking down the hatch to cower in the lower levels. Hanji had left the wheel to help Eren to his feet. He was trembling badly, but with the tension in Eren's jaw, Levi guessed that it was due to anger as much as fear. "Don't worry, we'll poison their stew or something," Hanji offered as zhe pulled Eren's shirt back up where it had slid off his shoulder.

 

"Hanji..." Levi began but trailed off. He was too angry to explicitly tell Hanji off for such an idea. "I'll take care of him. Come on," he beckoned Eren, who followed him back into his cabin with a limp. Levi could tell why when he saw that being dragged down the stairs had re-opened the scabbed cut on Eren's leg. "Petra will be asleep but I know some basic first aid. Sit." He grabbed a small kit of alcohol, cloth, bandages, and a needle and thread from his small bathroom and returned to find Eren staring blankly at the ceiling. Levi sat by his hip and snapped his fingers in front of Eren's face, causing him to jolt. "Tell me what hurts."

 

"Everything aches," Eren admitted. "But they didn't do much damage. My lip and my leg are the worst of it, I think. The rest will just become a lot of bruises." The pants Eren was wearing – the pair he had borrowed from Levi since Levi had forgotten to give Eren his new sets of clothes earlier – were torn nearly to shreds from being grabbed and pulled at. Levi tried to not notice the fingerprint-shaped bruises on Eren's skin well above his knees.

 

"Why didn't you fight back?" Levi asked as he soaked a cloth with alcohol and brushed it over Eren's leg, ignoring his whine of pain as the wound was cleaned. Although Levi wasn't certain, he guessed by the anger he had seen on Eren's face that he would be more than capable of making those two regret their actions.

 

Eren was watching Levi's hand work. "I was worried you'd kick me off the ship if I hurt someone on your crew."

 

"That's the stupidest shit I've ever heard," Levi said, leaving the cloth on Eren's cut while he grabbed some bandages. The beige cloth was stained a faded red from the blood trickling sluggishly from Eren's cut, and Levi tried not to cringe as he set it temporarily on the floor. With precise hands he wound the clean bandage around Eren's leg, just tight enough to stay without cutting off circulation. As he brushed his fingers along the edge of the bandage, ensuring it would stay, he looked up at Eren's face. "You have a right to defend yourself."

 

"Did you mean what you said out there?" Eren wondered.

 

"Every word." Levi dumped the soiled cloth in a bucket in his bathroom, washed his hands, and soaked another cloth in water before bringing it back. Eren was still lying on his bed, though his eyes were no longer far-seeing. "Here," Levi offered the wet cloth and Eren held it against his clotting lip. He rubbed at his tired eyes. "You've been a heap of trouble. Why did you have to pick my ship?"

 

"I'm sorry..."

 

Levi sighed. "You're here now. And you might as well stay since trying to get you to sleep elsewhere just leads to more headaches."

 

"I'll make it up to you," Eren promised. "As soon as I'm healed. I'll help you find other treasures; stuff no other humans have even heard of before."

 

Eren's eyes were bright with earnestness and excitement and for some reason that made Levi smile as he patted Eren's knee. "Tempting. For now I just want to sleep. Can you get over to the couch on your own?"

 

"Can't I sleep here?" Eren snuggled a little further into the blankets.

 

Levi tried to glare but instead he just yawned. "Stop trying to be cute. I want to sleep."

 

“I’ll be quiet.”

 

“I don’t share beds with people I just met a few days ago,” Levi said, standing up. “And if you don’t move, I’ll move you myself.”

 

Without further protest Eren moved into a seated position on the edge of the bed. He held onto Levi’s forearm to steady himself as he carefully bore weight on his injured leg, but after a slight sway he managed to stand on his own. “Goodnight, Levi,” Eren smiled shyly and swooped down to peck Levi on the cheek before shuffling over to lie down on the couch. Levi felt heat burn his cheeks but was too tired to argue, and quickly extinguished the lanterns in the room before rolling into bed.

 

Sometime before dawn Levi half-woke at the sound of sheets rustling quietly. Levi was on his side facing the wall, his back facing the room and feeling very warm. He could feel Eren’s body moulded against him, chest to back, and Eren’s arm looped loosely around Levi’s waist. Levi wasn’t sure but he thought Eren might’ve moved in his sleep, his breathing slow and even on the back of Levi’s neck. Despite Levi’s previous statement that he didn’t share a bed with strangers, he had to admit that he felt extremely comfortable in their current position. And, deciding that it wouldn’t kill him, Levi let his eyes droop closed again without pushing Eren away.

 

#

 

Levi cursed silently in his head as he woke up. Neither of them had changed their positions as they slept; Eren still pressed against Levi’s back. The problem was that Eren’s hand was resting warm and heavy on Levi’s abdomen, mere inches between his fingers and Levi’s hard-on turning his pants tight. It wasn’t uncommon for Levi to wake up with his cock stiff in his pants, but he wasn’t usually sharing a bed with someone he barely knew when it happened.

 

Carefully Levi tried to sit up and extract himself from the bed but Eren groaned and wrapped his arm more tightly around Levi’s middle. “Eren, let go,” Levi hissed.

 

“Nnnnn,” was Eren’s answer.

 

“I have to piss,” Levi lied.

 

Eren gave another displeased noise and then removed his arm, eyes still closed. “Fine,” he mumbled, still clearly barely awake.

 

Levi escaped to his bathroom quickly, shutting the door behind him. He fumbled to get his pants undone and pushed over his hips, just enough to free his swollen cock. The hot friction of his hand had Levi hissing, his toes curling against the wood flooring as he began to stroke himself. His skin was already tingling with heat from a dream he didn't remember, and he knew he wouldn't last long. Levi let his eyes close as his imagination took over.

 

He remembered the sensation of Eren sucking on his earlobe and groaned louder, his fist moving faster. He imagined Eren licking and sucking at the head of his cock and brushed his thumb over his slit, trying to enact his imagination. Unbidden came the image of Eren on his knees before Levi, wide green eyes staring up at him with trust as his lips spread wider—

 

" _Fuck_ ," Levi cursed as his whole body tensed and his seed spilled across his fingers.

 

It was only after he reached orgasm that Levi realized how short his breath was, quick pants for air as his heart stuttered. Disgruntled, Levi cleaned off his hand and did his pants back up. What the fuck was he doing? He had only met Eren a few days ago and the kid had been nothing but trouble. Still... Levi bit his lip as he scrubbed his hands a second time to ensure they were clean. He hadn't hated the warmth of Eren's body in his bed or the feeling of the boy's mouth on his ear at the market the day prior.

 

The urge to pursue the desire simmering below his skin even after his cock had softened in his pants had Levi gritting his teeth. He hadn't asked for this, and certainly didn't want it. Levi had enough shit to deal with in managing his ship and crew and always staying at least three steps ahead of Erwin and the Navy. He cared about his crew, of course. But these sorts of desires for Eren could quickly turn into a liability Levi couldn't afford.

 

Once his pleasure was washed from his skin, Levi entered his room and pulled on a change of clothes. Eren was still tangled up in the blankets and Levi bypassed the bed to join Hanji at the wheel. "How is he?" Hanji asked, eyes filled with concern.

 

In a rush Levi remembered the sound of Eren calling to him for help, and the bruises crawling up Eren's thighs after the attack. Levi swallowed down any sense of protective fury. "He's fine. Sleeping like a useless lump, as per usual."

 

"You'd be tired too after a night like that," Hanji pointed out but said nothing else on the subject.

 

Eren showed up about one hour later, dressed in one of his new sets of clothes with his green bandana holding his messy hair at bay. Eren disappeared shortly thereafter with Hanji to grab some food and then spent the afternoon trailing behind Hanji or Gunther, who taught him about navigation or ship maintenance respectively as a new routine involving Eren on board _The Captain's Killer_ emerged.

 

Eren joined Levi and the ship officers as they all ate dinner together, while one of Hanji's trusted crew watched the wheel. Some evenings Levi would join the group as they played cards or swapped stories while other times he would lounge in one of the hammocks reading and watching his officers enjoy their time together. Most times Eren would remain at the table with the officers. Though on some nights when he was particularly exhausted from work aboard the ship, Eren would curl up in the hammock with Levi and Levi would wrap one arm loosely around him while holding his book above Eren's head with his free hand to read.

 

None of his officers commented on the arrangement – though Levi noticed their sidelong looks on occasion. And as long as Eren remained quiet and didn't make a nuisance of himself, Levi didn't say anything about the setup either. When the hour grew late Levi and Eren would head back to Levi's quarters together, and although Levi always insisted that Eren go to sleep on the couch, he was never very surprised to wake up with Eren curled up around him each morning. Levi just made sure to keep control of the desire within him and life on the ship returned to a comfortable lull.

 

#

 

After about one week of their routine Levi began catching Eren staring at him, though he didn't confront the boy about it. Two weeks after finding Eren aboard his ship, Levi's sleeping habits went to hell when he and Eren would end up staying awake late into the night, both sitting on his bed telling each other stories. Eren loved hearing about the surface world while Levi was curious about a life underwater as well as hearing about other treasures awaiting him in the world. They took turns sharing a story each night. For a while Levi insisted that Eren still return to the couch to sleep when they were done talking, abut after about three weeks he gave up on insisting.

 

A month after Eren had joined Levi's ship, Levi woke to dawn light in his eyes. Eren thankfully didn't sleep half the day away anymore, but he still always slept later than Levi. As was routine, Levi woke with a stiff cock in his pants and he carefully extracted himself from Eren's grasp to make his way towards the bathroom to relieve himself. Except today wasn't routine at all, because as Levi's bare feet touched the floorboards, Eren rolled over and glared at Levi with a pout. "How much longer are you going to insist on sneaking away to waste your seed, rather than claim me?" Eren asked quite boldly.

 

"Excuse me?" Levi choked, because he didn't know what else to say. Not only had he gotten caught slinking away with his cock tenting his pants, but Eren's words were very knowing. And insinuating that Eren wanted... that he wanted Levi to...

 

"Humans are so stupid sometimes," Eren sighed, eyes flickering down to the bulge in Levi's pants before looking back up at his face. "Can you not feel it?"

 

"Feel what?" Levi was shocked that despite his horror over this situation actually taking place, he still wasn't any less hard.

 

"Our connection," Eren said as if he was discussing the fact that the sun was visible over the horizon. Perhaps Levi's bewilderment was obvious on his face because Eren huffed and sat up fully in bed. Levi immediately noticed that Eren also had a noticeable tent in his pants. "Maybe humans can't sense it, but mer-people can feel a connection when they meet their mate. I felt it the moment I saw you."

 

"Fuck no, we are not having this conversation," Levi said. "I am not entertaining the ludicrous idea of _soul mates_."

 

He was halfway to the bathroom to lock himself in until hopefully Eren dropped this whole subject and left. But he didn't make it far before Eren caught up to him and pinned Levi against the wall, his leg long since healed and Eren's strength and agility surprisingly impressive. "Please Levi," Eren's eyes were imploring. "Even if you don't feel it as clearly as another merman might, I know you... I mean, I _thought_ you felt _something_..." Eren bit his lip and Levi struggled to look away from the sight. "I've heard tales of human courting so I've been patient. I thought you were courting me, and I thought that earring would be your token to me. But you haven't even kissed me yet, let alone given me your token..."

 

"Eren..." Levi had almost forgotten about the earring he had bought for Eren, and he certainly hadn't known it was so important to Eren to receive it.

 

Eren's eyes dropped to the floor. "I know you hated me at first but I thought we were growing closer... Have I done something wrong—?"

 

Levi didn't let himself weigh the pros and cons as he hooked a hand on the back of Eren's neck and dragged him into a kiss to silence Eren's worries. He didn't want Eren thinking that he had done something wrong. It wasn't Eren's fault that Levi was hesitant about relationships and trust. Immediately Eren moaned and melted against Levi, both of their weight held up by the wall as their lips brushed tentatively for the first time.

 

After a long moment Levi leaned back enough to break the kiss and meet Eren's wondering eyes. "You haven't done anything wrong," he promised quietly, distracted by the way his heart was racing from the kiss. "You've just picked a terrible person to consider as a mate. I'm absolute shit at all this rubbish."

 

"I don't care," Eren shook his head, a hesitant smile on his lips. "But do you... I mean...?"

 

"Yeah, I think I might," Levi brushed his fingers along Eren's jaw and didn't fight when Eren leaned back in for another kiss. This kiss lingered longer than the first, Eren's arms wrapping around Levi's shoulders to pull him closer. Levi felt a little short on breath when they pulled apart. "Just try to be a little patient, alright?"

 

"You humans are so slow about this sort of thing," Eren said, but he was smiling wider now and his fingers were playing with the short hairs at the back of Levi's head.

 

"Well we don't all have some weird fish-sense connection to assure us that we've found the right one, you know," Levi huffed, shivering at the pleasant sensation of Eren's fingers in his hair and on his skin. "We're blind so we're cautious."

 

"It's okay, I'll help you feel the connection too," Eren promised and began to mouth lightly at the sensitive skin along Levi's neck. Levi's eyes fluttered and he let out a quiet moan on his next breath, focused solely on the sensation of Eren's lips. He had imagined Eren more and more frequently when he woke up with a hard-on in the mornings, but he had never expected Eren to be so confident and dominant. Levi had been holding himself back, worried that if he gave in to his desires he would be pressuring Eren and taking advantage. He had been extremely wrong.

 

To take some control of his own, Levi trailed his hand down Eren's front and past the waistband of his pants. As he wrapped his fingers around Eren's twitching cock, Eren let out the most beautiful whimper Levi had ever heard. Eren’s lips detached from Levi’s neck as he panted, Eren’s back arching to push his hips forward and shove his cock insistently into Levi’s grasp. “ _Levi_ ,” Eren whined, leaning down to rest his forehead against Levi’s shoulder. “I’ve wanted this.”

 

Levi had been with men before, and despite Eren’s heritage, his cock was the same as any other man’s. Levi felt the drag of his palm against the hot flesh of Eren’s length, the sensation of Eren’s cock stiffening further as Levi began a slow, torturous stroke. “Does that feel good?” he heard himself ask. As soon as he realized that Eren wanted this too – perhaps _more_ than Levi himself, Levi was ready to let go and give in to his desires.

 

“Yes, fuck yes,” Eren hissed, his hips already beginning to sway as they followed Levi’s rhythm. “But I want you to feel good too.”

 

Eren kept one arm wrapped around Levi’s shoulders while his other hand trailed down, tugging at the waistband of Levi’s pants while he continued to whine. Levi knocked Eren’s hand away and pushed his own pants down enough to free his own cock to the warm air of his cabin. He aligned both of their lengths and then began stroking them together, his fingers stretched wide around their combined girth. Eren cried out and moved the hand that had been knocked away to Levi’s hip, gripping tightly enough that Levi knew he would be marked. For some reason, that idea pleased him greatly.

 

Levi allowed himself to lean his full weight back against the wall, Eren’s body plastered against him. They were both hot and sweaty and would need a bath but neither of them cared in that moment. All they could focus on was the sensation of Levi’s hand stroking them, and their flesh dragging together each time one of them bucked their hips.

 

Eren began to mouth at Levi’s neck and earlobe again, though only lightly as he focused primarily on dragging air into his lungs. Eren was mumbling hot little nothings in Levi’s ear that just had Levi gritting his teeth and groaning, desperate for release as his body wound tight. “I’ve wanted this, dreamt of this. I want to feel you inside me. Fuck I want your cock filling me.”

 

“Fuck, Eren,” Levi cursed, barely able to keep control. He wanted to come so badly but at the same time he wanted this to go on forever.

 

It couldn’t last though with both of them so needy for release and sensitive to their new close contact. It was Eren who tumbled over the edge first, whispering Levi’s name over and over like a mantra until he finally bit down on Levi’s shoulder to half-muffle his cry as he came. The sharp pinch of pain from the bite paired with the sounds of Eren’s orgasm and the sensation of Eren’s hot seed spilling across his fingers was enough to have Levi shuddering, knees buckling as his come mixed with Eren’s on his fingers.

 

Without Levi supporting them, both he and Eren sunk to the floor in a heap. Eren was laying more than half on top of Levi but Levi liked feeling Eren’s weight and heat on top of him, and the rise and fall of his chest against Levi’s own. He wrapped his clean hand tightly around Eren’s waist, the way he did when they were in the hammock, and tried to ignore the drying stickiness on his other hand. Eren nuzzled his neck and then lay pliant, and as his breath calmed Levi wondered why he had fought this for so long.

 

At some point he tugged at Eren’s hair until Eren raised his head, giving Levi a curious look. Too lazy to explain, Levi tilted his face up and Eren clued in enough to duck down and lock his lips with Levi’s own. They kissed for a few minutes, slow and calm as they explored this new change in their relationship, until Levi’s back began to ache from lying on the wood floor. Eventually he nudged Eren away and stood up slowly, stretching out his whole body. “I need a bath,” he said in disgust when he felt the way his sweaty shirt peeled away from his chest.

 

“Can I join you?” Eren looked hopeful where he remained sprawled on the ground.

 

“I don’t see how that would possibly end up with either of us clean,” Levi chided. “You can wash after me so that I can get out and actually do something productive with my day.”

 

Most people probably would’ve been turned off by Levi’s grouchy attitude, especially after sharing something so intimate. Eren just stood, shrugged and stretched, looking unbothered. Levi didn’t bother fighting down the relief or gratitude he felt towards Eren for that, and pressed a slightly more heated kiss against Eren’s lips before locking himself away in the bathroom. Although he had fantasized about Eren more than once, this was far from what he had expected. However... Levi found it hard to make himself mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Hanji was insufferable for the rest of the day. Even though Levi didn't explicitly inform zher that his relationship with Eren had changed, Hanji somehow seemed to know anyway. Levi put up with it for as long as he could before telling zher off, and after dinner he grabbed Eren's arm and led him back to his private cabin rather than listen to Hanji coo at and question them over the inevitable game of cards. About halfway back to the cabin Eren captured Levi's hand and laced their fingers together for the rest of the walk across the quiet, darkened deck.

 

"Sit," Levi ordered once they were in his quarters and the door was locked – he didn't want any unannounced visitors tonight.

 

Eren sat on the edge of their bed, watching Levi silently while Levi grabbed the small case he had put Eren's earring in from one of his desk drawers. Alongside it he grabbed the other items he would need: a needle, matches, alcohol, cloth and a cork. Tentative excitement was growing on Eren's face as he watched all of the items being placed on the bed beside him. "Are you finally going to give me your token?" he asked.

 

Levi still felt a little hesitant. “Explain exactly what it means to you first when you say a token.”

 

Eren hummed thoughtfully. “I think the stories I’ve heard of humans usually talk about a ring?” he said uncertainly. “But basically when two mates find each other they exchange tokens to symbolize an acknowledgement of their connection and a promise of lifelong commitment to their mate.”

 

“So that’s what this means to you,” Levi said as he pulled the earring from the case and held it between two fingers. “Meaning I shouldn’t give it to you if I don’t acknowledge a connection between us and I don’t want to promise a lifetime commitment to you.”

 

Eren’s smile fell slightly. “I suppose…”

 

Levi felt his heart clench at the look of nervous disappointment crossing Eren’s face. He sighed. “I just find it hard to understand why you would want to spend a lifetime with me on this ship,” he admitted. “You have the whole ocean open to you but instead you say you want to stay with a grouchy old captain on his ship bobbing in the waves.”

 

“The longer I’ve stayed here, the more at home this ship feels to me,” Eren explained as he shuffled a bit closer to him on the bed. Eren reached down and rested his hand on top of Levi’s free hand on the bed. “I look forward to the adventures being on this ship will bring, but more than anything else I know that I want to share my life with you. Despite your moods I feel safe and cared for with you; I’ve enjoyed our time together.”

 

“Well when you put it that way…” Levi turned his hand over, lacing his fingers between Eren’s own. He brushed his thumb over the back of Eren’s hand, feeling his warm, smooth skin. “Will I get to see your real form someday?” he asked after a moment, his eyes roaming over Eren’s body as he slowly acknowledged the fact that if he didn’t fuck this all up, Eren could be… _would be_ his…

 

“Well this form is as much my true form as my tail but yes, if you’d like to see it,” Eren blushed. “Sometime we should stop on a beach with a cove away from everyone else so I can show you.”

 

“And you’re sure…?”

 

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Eren was sounding more and more like Levi every day. Levi didn’t fight when Eren’s free hand reached up to cup Levi’s jaw and turn his face to the side, their lips meeting between them over their laced fingers. Levi set the earring on the bedspread to free up his other hand and quickly used it to run his hand greedily up the shape of Eren’s thigh. Eren moaned openly into his mouth and pulled Levi closer and on top of him as he sprawled back on the bed.

 

Levi aligned his body with Eren’s, pressing Eren down into the mattress with his weight. As their lips continued to dance Levi’s urge to feel bare skin grew, and he began to tug hungrily at Eren’s clothing. He slipped one hand under Eren’s shirt and tweaked his nipple, Eren gasping and arching beneath him at the sensation before pushing Levi hard enough to separate them. They both gave a groan of displeasure at the sudden distance between their bodies.

 

“What’s wrong?” Levi asked as he sat up, a little impatient now that he had finally come to accept this change in their relationship and anticipate moving forward.

 

“I want your token first, and then your body,” Eren requested a bit shyly, still sprawled on the bed.

 

“It’s going to hurt,” Levi reminded him. “It’ll spoil the mood.” He gave a pointed glance to their two erections that were very prominent in their pants.

 

Eren chuckled a little breathlessly. “How could it spoil the mood when you’re looking at me like that?” Eren’s hand was tracing distracting lines up and down the inseam of Levi’s pants. “And I trust you.”

 

“Alright then, shove over,” Levi ordered and sat on the edge of the bed right beside where Eren lay down closer to the middle of the bed. Levi moved everything within easy reaching distance and then spent a few minutes cleaning the earring and sterilizing the needle with a few of the matches. Eren watched the process silently, eyes sharp and curious.

 

Once he was certain everything was prepared, Levi grabbed the cork and tucked it behind Eren’s earlobe. “What’s that for?” Eren wondered aloud.

 

“It’s so that when the needle pushes through the skin of your ear, it doesn’t go too far and stab you in the neck,” Levi said and chuckled when Eren gulped. “You’re still sure about this?” Levi asked, halfway between concern and amusement.

 

“Absolutely,” Eren said with certainty, keeping his head still and in position.

 

“Alright,” Levi grabbed the needle with one hand while his other hand continued to hold the little piece of cork in place. “You need to keep yourself still since my hands are busy. I’m going to make a hole with the needle, which will feel something like a pinch. Then I need to slip the earring in and that might hurt a bit more since it’s an open wound.”

 

Eren’s fingers clutched at the blankets below him but he said nothing and didn’t push Levi away. Taking this as a final agreement, Levi leaned forward and positioned the needle against the skin of Eren’s earlobe. When he was happy with the positioning his eyes met Eren’s, time freezing between them for an instant, and then he pushed the needle through skin until it stuck in the cork.

 

Eren gave a tiny whimper, his eyes clenched closed as he breathed a little quicker. Levi left the needle where it was for a few moments and then carefully extracted it, setting it aside so he could wash it later. Then he grabbed the tiny gold hoop earring Eren had chosen out at the market and slid it through the new hole. This time Eren gave a sharp intake of breath and held it, tears pricking the corners of his eyes as Levi got the earring in place and fastened.

 

“Breathe,” Levi ordered when he saw Eren’s cheeks going a bit pink from holding his breath. After Eren had taken a few deep breaths Levi grabbed a cloth and soaked it in alcohol before brushing at the new hole and earring to clean it. Eren whined again but remained still, trusting Levi to take care of him and be gentle. At last Levi looked the earring over with satisfaction. There was a tiny bit of blood on the cloth he had used but the hole was a clean puncture and should heal well. “All done,” he promised. “Though you’ll have to keep the earring in for at least one full month, probably more, to let it heal fully.”

 

“What happens if I don’t?” Eren asked. He lifted a hand to touch the earring curiously but winced at the contact and pulled his hand away.

 

“If you take the earring out before the hole fully heals then the hole will heal closed and we’ll have to do this all over again,” Levi explained. “And the scar tissue could be a hassle so we’d probably have to do your other ear.”

 

Eren touched the gold carefully again, smile growing wider. “I have no intention of ever taking it out,” he informed Levi happily. “Thank you. I love bearing your token.”

 

Levi didn’t bother fighting his small smile; he liked knowing Eren was so happy simply for being tied to Levi. “And now I get to make you mine, yes?” Levi said as his smile morphed into a smirk. He wiped his hands clean with another cloth soaked in alcohol and then moved everything off the bed and onto his bedside table. At the same time he pulled a jar of oil from one of the drawers and returned to the bed, this time straddling Eren’s hips.

 

Eren’s eyes were hooded as he looked up at Levi, his hands boldly skimming up Levi’s inner thighs. Despite the brief pause to give Eren his earring, the simple touch of Eren’s fingers exploring him had the heat simmering in Levi’s veins spark into a fully-fledged fire in his belly. He gripped Eren’s shirt and pulled it over his head before removing his own, setting both on the floor and out of the way. Although Levi hadn’t really thought about the earring as anything more than a piece of jewellery prior to Eren’s explanation of its importance and symbolism to him, now every time Levi looked at it he experienced another flash of desire. He was glad now that Eren had requested the token before their lips locked again.

 

This beautiful boy spread below him in his bed was Levi’s and no one else’s. Now that he didn’t have to scold himself or fight off his desire any longer, Levi was eager to mark every inch of Eren’s skin that he could reach. Levi began with Eren’s neck and collarbone, sucking and nipping marks every few inches. Many of the love bites littering Eren’s neck would be visible above his collar the next day when they walked out onto the deck side by side, but Levi purred at the idea – he wanted everyone to see and know that he had claimed what was his to possess.

 

Eren was breathless and arching beautifully under the attention, tracing his fingers over the warm skin of Levi’s stomach and chest while Levi knelt above him. In no rush, Levi took his time kissing and sucking more of Eren’s skin, eventually working down to brush his tongue against one of Eren’s nipples teasingly. Eren squirmed and when Levi glanced down he could see the bulge of Eren’s erection tenting his pants.

 

Easily Levi shifted sideways until one of his thighs was between Eren’s legs. Levi didn’t even need to push Eren’s legs apart; he spread them invitingly with an aroused flush burning across his skin. Levi settled his weight forward and as he closed his whole mouth over one of Eren’s nipples and sucked, he rocked his thigh against Eren’s contained cock.

 

Eren cried out and dug his fingers in Levi’s hair, rocking up with need against the pressure Levi’s thigh was providing. The noises Eren made had Levi’s cock twitching in anticipation; he couldn’t remember the last time he was this aroused or eager to claim another’s body. Levi continued to wind Eren tighter, sucking and marking skin, but gave a grunt of surprise and desire when he felt Eren’s hand move from Levi’s hair down and into his pants.

 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Levi panted when Eren’s fingers curled around his length and stroked lightly. Levi rocked his cock into Eren’s hand, shuddering at the instant waves of pleasure. “Eager little brat, aren’t you?” he laughed breathlessly. Eren grinned at him and squeezed Levi’s cock, drawing a deeper groan from Levi’s lips.

 

Levi had originally been considering sucking Eren off, but with Eren’s hot fingers around his shaft, Levi had more pressing desires to attend to. Levi continued to rock into Eren’s hand for another greedy moment and then moved back and struggled out of his pants and underwear. Eren didn’t fight when Levi grabbed his pants and tugged them off as well, leaving them both fully bare.

 

Eren reached for Levi again but with one hand Levi pushed Eren flat against the mattress, a predatory look in his eyes. Eren must’ve noticed the look because he shivered and lay still even when Levi withdrew his hand and instead reached for the jar of oil. “Have you ever had someone inside you before?” Levi asked as he slicked two fingers thoroughly.

 

“No,” Eren admitted with a shake of his head. “But I’ve thought about us.”

 

“Good,” Levi said, shuffling closer between Eren’s spread legs. He was pleased that he would be Eren’s first – and only. “Try to relax,” he encouraged as he dropped his hand down and pressed one oiled finger against Eren’s hole. Almost immediately his finger slid in past the depth of his nail, Eren’s body burning and welcoming him in deeper. Eren shifted his body but the look on his face was one of curiosity and pleasure rather than pain so Levi didn’t hesitate as he used more pressure to slide his first finger all the way in until his hand was pressed against Eren’s ass.

 

“I like this already,” Eren chuckled quietly as he clenched experimentally around Levi’s finger.

 

The sensation of Eren’s hole tightening around him had Levi imagining what it would feel like when his cock was buried in that tight heat, and he began to stroke the pad of his finger against Eren’s inner walls teasingly. Eren shifted again and then thrust down slightly, seeking more. Levi started to pump his finger in and out of Eren’s body a few times before pressing his second finger against Eren’s hole, feeling his cock throb when Eren took the second digit almost as easily as the first.

 

The third finger took a little more coaxing, Levi grabbing more oil to dribble over his fingers and spending a few minutes fucking Eren with his two fingers stretched apart before finally working in his third. By then there was a little puddle of precome on Eren’s stomach from his twitching cock and Eren was panting on every breath while his hips rocked. A few times Levi had managed to brush against Eren’s prostate but his fingers weren’t long enough to cause the pressure that would have Eren spasming on the bed.

 

“Please, Levi, _please_ ,” Eren was begging whenever he had enough air in his lungs to do so, his hands gripping the sheets with white-knuckled strength after Levi had ordered Eren’s hand away from gripping his own length.

 

Although Levi was quite sure he could listen to Eren beg like that and watch the boy rock on his fingers for a lifetime, Levi’s cock was aching with need by now. He withdrew all his fingers before grabbing more oil, this time spreading it across his length with a few tight strokes. The urge to fuck his own oiled hand was strong, but easy to ignore as Levi looked down and watched Eren spread his legs wider, his stretched hole on display.

 

He lined himself up with Eren’s ass and then grabbed both of Eren’s legs, nudging upwards until Eren got the hint and hooked his legs around Levi’s hips and locked his ankles against the small of Levi’s back. Then Levi pressed the head of his cock against Eren’s slicked hole and rested his weight forward. There was a moment of resistance and then as Eren exhaled deeply the tight ring of muscles of Eren’s ass relaxed and Levi slid halfway into Eren’s body in one stroke.

 

Levi cursed and Eren whined, already angling his hips up to try to force Levi in deeper. Despite Eren’s eagerness, Levi forced himself to remain still for a moment until he felt Eren’s ass loosening around him. At last he leaned further forward and let his eyes flutter closed as his cock stretched and filled Eren’s ass until Levi’s hips were pressed tightly against the swell of Eren’s ass. As Eren adjusted to Levi’s girth, Levi could feel Eren’s ass hugging him rhythmically, and Levi choked on a groan as he fought for control to stave off his orgasm.

 

He nipped a few more marks on Eren’s collarbone and shoulder as they both got themselves under control, and then Levi began a slow but steady thrusting. The bed swayed with their combined movements as Eren rocked his body to meet each of Levi’s thrusts, forcing him deeper and against his prostate. Eren’s hands moved from the sheets to instead brush against the sweaty skin of Levi’s back, scoring him with nails and pulling their bodies closer together until Levi’s stomach was rubbing against Eren’s cock.

 

“We should—Slow down—” Eren struggled to speak as Levi started to fuck him harder, having the angle to hit Eren’s prostate confirmed. “Don’t wanna—come—”

 

“That’s the fucking point—of all this,” Levi huffed a laugh, also winded. Between his cock thrusting in and out of Eren’s body and Eren’s ass clenching around him, Levi felt like he was being milked and he knew it wouldn’t be long before he was filling Eren’s hole with his seed.

 

Eren didn’t complain again, merely dug his nails in deeper to leave little crescent-shaped marks on Levi’s back as he reeled him in closer. Levi was happy to oblige and pounded into Eren, ignoring the way his bed creaked in protest. Eren had begun whispering his name over and over, eyes half-lidded and lips parted. Levi glanced down and cursed again as he watched his own cock disappearing into Eren’s body, forcing Eren to spread around him.

 

Levi was dragged from the sight when Eren moved a hand up from Levi’s back to hold the back of his head and pull him down. Levi caught his weight with both hands on either side of Eren’s body, barely an inch of space between their chests. Eren tugged again and Levi let himself fall, their bodies plastered together as his hips continued to shove his cock in and out. Eren’s lips found Levi’s own and kissed him with a hungry passion.

 

Each time Levi thrust again Eren would whimper into his mouth, Eren’s cock rubbed between them. Levi could tell that Eren was close and was eager to push him over the edge. Levi kissed Eren back for a few moments as they rocked together, Eren’s arms again wound around Levi’s body to hold them close together, and then Levi pulled back just enough to nip Eren’s bottom lip and catch his attention. “Going to come for me?”

 

Eren’s eyes flashed open with surprise as Eren’s tongue darted across his own lips. “Fuck—fuck yes, Levi. I want to come for you so badly, _please_ …”

 

Happy to oblige Eren’s pleas, Levi pulled all the way out until Eren was just spread around the head of his cock, and then slammed back in hard. His new thrusts were so strong that Eren was releasing breathless gasps, and Levi reached between their bodies to clutch Eren’s erection in his hand. As soon as Levi thrust in and stroked Eren from base to tip at the same time, Eren’s body went rigid beneath Levi. Immediately Levi felt hot sticky come spilling across his fingers and onto Eren’s stomach, and Eren’s ass tightening around him to provide the perfect friction as Eren rode out his orgasm.

 

Feeling Eren working through his orgasm and hearing Eren moaning Levi’s name in his ear, it only took a few more jerky thrusts of Levi’s hips before he was choking on Eren’s name and spilling his seed. He shuddered as spurts of his come filled Eren’s ass and Levi’s cock dragged through it, slick and wet-sounding as their combined harsh breathing echoed in the room.

 

When they were both spent Levi began to withdraw but then Eren pulled him down and held him in a tight embrace. Levi grimaced at the sensation of come smearing between their stomachs, both of their chests still rising and falling together as they tried to catch their breath. Still, Levi’s limbs were shaky and his ears were ringing as a result of his orgasm so he didn’t fight and allowed Eren to hold him close. He would’ve worried that he was crushing Eren but the other man didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

 

Eventually Levi’s cock softened and slipped from Eren’s body. Levi shivered, the air cool on his sweaty skin, and pulled away to sit on the edge of the bed. Eren looked half-asleep as he watched Levi sit up, love bites and hickeys covering many inches of his skin. Levi wasn’t sure he had ever seen an expression as blissed out as Eren’s in that moment, and with a blooming affection Levi brushed his finger across Eren’s new earring.

 

Eren stretched languidly on the bed, seemingly unaware of the mess across his stomach and between his legs. “That felt so good,” Eren practically purred. “You should lie back down so we can sleep.”

 

“Dream on,” Levi said. “We’re bathing and changing the sheets before we sleep. Up with you.”

 

Eren groaned but did as he was told and crawled out of bed, stretching more while Levi yanked all the soiled sheets off the mattress. Levi set them in a heap on the floor, not motivated enough to walk them down to the small laundry area in the ship tonight. He moved the jar of oil back into the bedside drawer and then grabbed a new set of sheets to set them on the bare mattress for after they were both clean.

 

Levi was thankful that Eren had put himself to good use and was filling the tub with water. It would take too long to warm all of the water over the hearth in Levi’s cabin but they could both manage bathing in room-temperature water. Many of Levi’s crew laughed at him for keeping large barrels of water on the ship, as well as one in his washroom, but Levi insisted on bathing as frequently as possible. Once the tub was full Levi slipped in first and pulled Eren in behind him, their bare skin sliding together. Eren became lazy after helping with the water and contently lounged against Levi while Levi scrubbed their skin and hair clean with the soap and other cleaning products he kept beside the tub.

 

By the time Levi was done Eren was dozing against him, water lapping around their bodies twined together. Levi spent a few minutes carding his fingers lazily through Eren’s wet hair, breathing deeply with contentment. After a while his skin began to turn wrinkly and Levi finally nudged Eren out of the tub, bundling both of them in soft, warm towels. He would deal with getting the stale water chucked overboard in the morning and ushered Eren back towards the bed where together they organized the new sheets.

 

When the bed was re-made it didn’t take long for Eren to yank Levi down and twine their bodies together. Levi couldn’t help the twinge of arousal when his flaccid cock brushed against Eren’s bare, warm skin, but they were both too tired to act on any lingering desire anyway. Instead Levi pulled the blankets up around them and spooned Eren from behind, brushing a kiss against the back of Eren’s neck before letting his eyes drift closed.


	7. Chapter 7

Levi was chatting with Hanji at the wheel, discussing their plan to make port in a few days to sell more bounty. When the conversation trailed off Levi glanced over his shoulder, watching Eren who was seated on the aft-most railing of the ship and staring out at the wake of _The Captain’s Killer_. “Go to him,” Hanji encouraged with a smile. “I’ve got the wheel.”

 

Levi nodded his thanks and walked towards the back railing. Eren really was a beautiful creature, skin aglow in the rays of the setting sun. As Levi drew closer he could see that Eren was fingering his earring, which was healing well. In another few weeks Eren would be able to take the earring out if he chose – though Eren remained insistent that he never wanted to remove Levi’s token from his body. Levi could see that Eren’s eyes were on the large stretch of water behind them, though Eren turned with a smile when Levi moved close enough to lean against the railing beside where Eren was sitting. Only Eren would be daring enough to sit on the edge of the ship, though Levi remembered that if Eren fell in he wouldn’t be in danger of drowning.

 

For a few moments Levi watched the wake of his ship and the water lit up by the setting sun, and Eren looked out at the ocean as well. At one point Levi felt obligated to ask, “Do you miss it? The ocean?”

 

Eren shrugged. “Sometimes. I miss what it feels like to cut through the water.” Eren bit his bottom lip. “And I wonder if my friends are okay.”

 

Levi brushed his fingers along Eren’s forearm in a way he hoped was comforting. “Do you want to go looking for them?”

 

“I honestly don’t know where I’d begin to look,” Eren confessed. “The ocean is vast and deep. And I don’t want to leave you or the ship.” Suddenly Eren ducked down and kissed Levi deeply. Normally Levi wasn't a big fan of public affection, but they were alone at the back of the ship so he allowed the lingering kiss. When Eren pulled away he was smiling. “I promise there isn’t a moment that passes where I regret being with or staying here with you.”

 

Levi found it a little difficult to concentrate with the way his heart was fluttering, but he relaxed more fully against the railing. “You were staring pretty longingly at the water though,” he pointed out; not exactly concerned but wanting to understand Eren’s thoughts and desires.

 

To Levi’s surprise, Eren laughed. “Oh, that,” he smiled. “I was just thinking about trying to find the perfect item to present to you as my token.” Now Eren’s cheeks were a bit red but he was still smiling. “I’ve wanted to get you something but I don’t know what, and I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to leave and search for something.”

 

“I wouldn’t mind if you left the ship briefly,” Levi said carefully. Over the last while they had been able to avoid dealing with any run-ins with Erwin thanks to the ring Eren kept on a chain around his neck, but that didn’t mean the ocean wasn’t still filled with dangers. Despite the fact that Levi had originally considered Eren to be nothing more than a nuisance, the thought of Eren getting injured or killed now made it difficult for Levi to swallow. "As long as you come back safely."

 

"Of course I will," Eren assured. "I'd take you with me if I could. I'd love for you to see the world below the one you know. It can be quite beautiful."

 

"I'll just have to live with your stories," Levi said lightly, remembering the many evenings he had curled up with Eren in his bed and listened to the boy talk about the ocean and his life before Levi and _The Captain's Killer_. Levi also spent some time reading his books to Eren, teaching him more about the world above the waves – far beyond the scope that Levi's ship would ever reach.

 

Eren was looking out at the waves again, clearly deep in thought. "I heard you and Hanji talking about making port. How long will we be there?"

 

Levi shrugged. "A few days, likely. Why?"

 

"Although I would eventually be able to track down your ship even if you were sailing, it would be easier for me to find you again after searching for the perfect token if you were at port," Eren said. "But you'd need to drop anchor a little further out from the docks. I don't want to risk any fishing nets in the shallows."

 

Unbidden came the mental image of Eren tangled up in thick netting, eyes wide with fear as he screamed for Levi's help. Levi shook his head to dispel the image. Then he thumbed another circle on Eren's forearm. "We can do that. I'll wait until your return before we weigh anchor again."

 

Eren's eyes were so warm when they rested on Levi again that Levi felt his heart stutter. "Sounds like a plan, Captain."

 

#

 

They arrived at port and released anchor just as the sun touched the horizon, bathing everything in a red glow. Levi oversaw his crew with Eren at his side as they divided into two groups which would take turns between enjoying the shore and watching over the ship. Hanji took command of the second group and led the eager crewmembers to shore in a collection of bobbing rowboats while Levi watched them go, the rest of his crew returning to their positions. Although he knew they were all excited to get on shore, Levi trusted them to continue doing their work until their turn rolled around.

 

When everyone else was busy and it was just Levi and Eren alone at the wheel, Eren walked over to the side of the ship farthest from the shore and looked over the edge. As they had discussed, Levi pulled over the netting he had grabbed from the cargo hold. With steel hooks he attached the net to the edge of his ship and then cast the thick-knotted netting overboard to unfurl against the sturdy hull.

 

"You should come down into the water with me," Eren said brightly, his excitement obvious as he sat on the ship's railing and touched a foot to the netting to test its strength. Levi glanced down to the roiling waves lapping against his ship and grimaced. Eren's eyes widened in shock. "Don't tell me you can't swim!"

 

"I can swim!" Levi snapped. Maybe he wasn't the _best_ swimmer, but he figured it was a death wish to become a sea captain if you couldn't at least tread water. "I'm just cautious of getting into the ocean."

 

"I'll make sure you're safe," Eren promised, reaching a hand out invitingly. "We won't go out far; you can stay by the netting."

 

Levi really didn't like the idea of what else might be swimming in the water just below his feet. They were far enough away from shore that the ocean's creatures got bigger and more intimidating. And yet Eren's smile was reassuring and it was scarily easy to slot his hand into Eren's own and be led over the edge of the railing. Eren kicked off all but his underwear, leaving his clothes in a heap on the deck, and then let go of the netting to go crashing beneath the waves.

 

Halfway over the edge, Levi's fingers clutched the netting so tightly that his knuckles turned white. It was only when Eren's head and sopping wet hair popped back above the waves that Levi remembered to breathe again, his stomach still clenched tightly. Eren hooked the torn remains of his underwear on the netting and then beckoned Levi down. "Join me, Levi."

 

Levi wasn't about to jump all the way down into the ocean the way Eren had, but he also wasn't going to stay up on the railing forever like a coward. He was curious to join Eren in the water, knowing by the torn underwear that Eren had a different form below the water. And beyond that, Eren would be venturing out on his own shortly; although Levi rarely let himself think the worst or let his fears control him, he wanted to give Eren a proper send-off.

 

He picked his way down the netting, steadying himself whenever a particularly large wave nudged his ship and caused it to sway while Levi was clutching onto the side of it. Eren remained in the water just below him, and touched a reassuring hand to Levi's leg when he was close enough to the water. The chill of the water bit at his ankles as they sunk below the surface, prickling his calves and then his hips. At that point Levi turned around and hooked his feet into the bottom squares of the netting, which floated listlessly a few feet below the waves. Where he was Levi was submerged to his chest, with his feet firmly planted and his hands lightly gripping the netting on either side of him to keep himself in place.

 

Eren swam closer, and although Levi couldn't make out the details, he thought he saw a shimmer of something blue-green moving in the water. Levi's attention didn't waver for long though, especially when he saw the heated look Eren was giving him. "I like seeing you in the water," Eren purred, eyes skimming over Levi's soaked and now see-through shirt down to his body below the waves. There was a dangerous glint in his expression. "Stay exactly where you are."

 

Without another word Eren ducked below the water. With the sun almost completely set it was nearly impossible to even make out the colour of Eren's skin through the water, but the feeling of Eren's fingers tugging at the fastenings of Levi's pants was unmistakeable. For a moment Levi considered kicking Eren away but then Eren got his hand in Levi's pants and wrapped around his cock and Levi decided he didn't fucking care enough to stop this. All of his crew was either on land or at work by now, and the sun was disappearing to bathe them in enough shadow to make this feel private.

 

For another few agonizing seconds Eren fumbled with Levi's pants until he got his pants fully unfastened and shoved down over the swell of his ass. Levi could feel his cheeks burning with slight embarrassment and arousal. Even though his body was only bared below the water where no one on the ship would be able to make out the details, he still felt like he was exposed and on display – and for some weird reason that just turned him on more.

 

Eren was still underwater and hadn't surfaced, and Levi remembered quickly enough that Eren didn't _need_ to breathe to stop himself from ruining the moment and forcefully dragged Eren back up above the surface. Instead he just clutched the netting tighter to keep himself in place as he felt Eren's water-slicked hand wrap around the base of his cock more firmly. Already Levi was halfway hard, egged on to full hardness when he felt Eren brush his lips against the side of his cock.

 

Between the constant brush of the water against his bare flesh and Eren's mouth as Eren began to tongue at Levi's slit, Levi groaned and bucked his hips forward demandingly. Eren didn't need a verbal command to know what Levi wanted, and suddenly Levi was grunting as his whole length was sucked into a hot, wet mouth. He knew Eren would be smirking with pride if he heard the muffled sounds of Levi trying and failing to keep himself quiet, but as it was Eren seemed entirely focused on swallowing Levi's cock down his throat.

 

Even though Levi hadn't been horny when he got in the water, something about the situation and the added sensations – naked out in the open, water lapping against his body, Eren's hands gripping his hips tightly as he licked and sucked demandingly – that had Levi's toes curling against the netting. Fuck, he was almost embarrassed at how quickly he was edging towards orgasm, and wondered if Eren realized or if the taste of his precome mingled too much with the salt of the ocean.

 

Not knowing if it was possible but not wanting to risk Eren choking, Levi moved one hand from the netting to knot his fingers in Eren's hair. He didn't tug – there was no way he would ever stop Eren's blowjob now with the way Levi's cock was pulsing and his heart was hammering in his chest. Levi just kept his hand there at the back of Eren's head, gripping in warning even as his hips began to buck forward on their own accord as he sought the climax of his pleasure.

 

One of Eren's hands was still on Levi's hip, keeping himself anchored and close while he worked, but his other hand dipped down to massage Levi's balls and then his perineum, inches away from Levi's ass. Whenever they had coupled since Levi first gave Eren his token, Levi had always been the one claiming Eren's body. However, that didn't stop his body from seizing up with pleasure at the feeling of Eren's fingers teasing so close to his hole at the same time as Eren sucked on Levi's cock, his nose nuzzling the wiry curls of hair at the base of Levi's length.

 

Levi had to bite his tongue to stop himself from crying out loudly as his orgasm crashed over him, but the weak whimper that escaped him instead wasn't any better. Luckily there was no one else around and Eren was still below the waves, swallowing each rope of come Levi fucked down his throat. Levi began to tremble when his body was finally spent, and it was too late for him to get a better grip on the netting before he plunged below the waves.

 

He didn't even feel concern though, because immediately Eren's arms were around him and lifting him back up, holding them both above the surface with ease. Levi gripped Eren's chin and brought their lips together. He could taste salt on Eren's lips but ignored it, kissing Eren deeply until his body finally calmed. It was still a bit distracting feeling his softening cock against the warm skin of Eren's stomach, but what was weirder was the sensation of his feet brushing smooth scales. Similarly, when Levi finally had enough awareness to break the kiss, he traced his fingers carefully along the slight ridges on Eren's neck which he assumed had to be gills.

 

"I can barely see you," Levi said, almost mournfully. The sun had sunk far below the ocean now and both the air and water were growing chilled. Despite himself, Levi shivered until Eren held him closer. Eren seemed to stay as warm as normal regardless of being submerged in the ocean, and he was happy to share his warmth with Levi.

 

Eren's lips found Levi's again, and Levi could feel the smile on his partner's lips. "When I come back I'll show you my full form if you'd like to see it."

 

“I would,” Levi confessed softly. Then he took a deep, steadying breath, shocked that he was about to admit to such a weakness. Yet he didn’t want Eren disappearing into the ocean and potential danger without saying the words… “I love you, brat. So you better fucking come back quickly.”

 

Eren wound his arms tightly around Levi and hugged him even closer and Levi could imagine the expression on Eren’s face. “I love you too,” Eren whispered happily, nuzzling Levi’s neck. “I love you so much.” Levi knew Eren had been holding the words in, waiting for Levi to be ready to hear them and say them in return, and Levi was certain that he had waited until the right moment. He brought Eren in for another kiss and relished in their shared moment.

 

Eventually even Eren’s warmth wasn’t enough to fight off the chill of the ocean and evening breeze and Levi felt his shivering grow worse. Eren swam them back the short distance to the side of Levi’s ship and the netting; Levi hadn’t even noticed that the pair of them had drifted away slightly with Eren holding him so securely in the water.

 

Levi forced his numb fingers to grip the netting, hauling himself halfway out of the water. It was going to be a gruelling climb back up onto the ship with his soaked clothes dragging him down. “Oh, hang on,” Eren laughed and refastened Levi’s pants. Levi would’ve bitched about it but his fingers were too stiff to handle the buttons himself anyway. Once that was corrected, Eren pulled away. Levi could barely see him in the halo of light from the lantern up on the railing. “I’ll be back as soon as I have the perfect token for you.”

 

“I’d rather just have you back,” Levi said, not liking how inky-black the water seemed now that only the stars lit up the sky. The moon was barely a sliver – definitely not enough to light up any potential threats.

 

“You’ll have me back _and_ the perfect token,” Eren promised. “I love you,” he said again and then ducked below the waves. Levi stayed clinging to the netting for another few minutes, wondering if Eren might change his mind and just come back, but the ocean surface stayed undisturbed and Levi was finally forced to climb back up onto his ship. He was grateful to peel off his soaked clothes and change into a dry set, but Levi didn’t feel warm or settled at all when he crawled into bed alone.

 

#

 

Levi traveled to shore to pick up some supplies he needed, but otherwise he spent his time aboard _The Captain’s Killer_. Hanji teased him endlessly about staring off at the water but Levi took it in stride, recognizing how pathetic he was acting but not finding a reason to care. It was funny how things could change so much without him even realizing; before he had wanted nothing more than to get Eren off his ship and now he constantly awaited Eren’s return.

 

Three full days passed without any sign of Eren, and although three days was the original plan for how long they would remain in port before setting sail, Levi refused to weigh anchor until Eren was back on deck. He kept reminding himself that Eren had lived in the ocean for a lot longer than he had on Levi’s ship and could take care of himself, but as time wore on his anxiety about Eren’s safety turned Levi irritable and snappish.

 

By the time the third night was upon them, Levi found it hard to do more than sit or pace along the railing overlooking the water, searching for some break in the waves to indicate more than the swelling tide. Hanji joined him at one point, looking out at the moon reflecting on the water since no one needed to be at the wheel to steer. “What are you thinking, Captain?” zhe asked him, the teasing tone replaced by concern now.

 

“It’s not like I can get in a rowboat and go out to sea looking for him, and I don’t know if Eren would be able to find the ship if we set sail,” Levi said. “But at the same time, the longer we sit here the greater the chance of someone unpleasant coming along.”

 

“Well you know the crew is happy for an extended shore leave so don’t worry about that,” Hanji pointed out. “I’m sure Eren is on his way back right now. I’m shocked he’s managed to stay away this long with how close he always stays near you,” Hanji smiled. “It’s cute, seeing the two of you together.”

 

“Ugh,” Levi groaned. “We’re not a fucking fairy tale, you know.”

 

“You sort of are,” Hanji laughed. “Even if you’re grumpier than a normal fairy tale character should be.” Levi said nothing but turned his gaze back to the water. After a while Hanji patted his shoulder and stood up. “Get some sleep, Levi. You’ll want your full strength to truly appreciate Eren’s return,” Hanji winked, back to teasing, and bid him goodnight.

 

Levi remained seated on the railing for another while longer and then dragged himself to bed. Unfortunately he ended up staring at the ceiling for a long time even after slipping under the blankets. Levi was surprised to find that it was the little things that he truly missed about Eren’s presence – their storytelling before bed and the feeling of Eren’s body lying next to him as their breathing evened out. Levi was completely and utterly whipped and he didn’t even care. He just wanted Eren back where Levi knew he was safe.

 

#

 

The alarm bell had Levi’s eyes flashing open as he stumbled out of bed. It took him mere seconds to grab his gun and sword and step into his boots before he was bursting out of his cabin, overlooking the scene in front of him. His crew that were still on the ship were scrambling around to get into position, reacting to _The Inquisitor_ , which was floating further out to sea but within range to easily cause damage with their cannons if Erwin chose that route.

 

That fact was secondary though when Levi’s eyes landed on Eren and the two men binding him while Eren struggled and tried to shove them off. Levi recognized them immediate as Walt and Hugh, the two who had attacked Eren earlier for being ‘a creature’. At the same time Levi heard a distant _twang_ and looked up to see that a heavy net had been catapulted across the space between the two ships and was spinning directly towards Eren.

 

There was no time to yell or threaten; only to act. Levi charged forward with his weapons drawn. Walt got a bullet to the back of the head while Hugh got a messy cut to his neck – Hugh would have a slow death but that was the least of Levi’s concerns. Acting on adrenaline and fear alone, Levi managed to push Eren out of the way. Unfortunately he wasn’t fast enough to get himself away as well and as the heavy netting wrapped around him, Levi lost his balance and tipped over the edge of his ship.

 

He barely had an instant to realize what had happened and to take a deep breath before he was plunged below the waves. Levi could barely tell which way was up but he forced himself to remain as calm as possible as he tried to untangle the netting from around his body as he continued to sink. A quick touch to his hip confirmed that his sword had fallen away, and as his lungs began to ache for oxygen, Levi felt his fingers becoming more frantic as he tried to find an opening in the heavy rope. Worse was the pressure in his ears as he sunk further and further away from the surface and his salvation.

 

The salt in the water stung his eyes and as the pressure continued to build in his ears, Levi accepted the sad fact that he was about to die. His lungs were screaming at him; logic would not stop the instinctive urge to breathe in deep. Levi was mere seconds away from swallowing a large gulp of water, drowning himself as he sunk further and further away from the surface. He continued to fight the netting but each move he made just seemed to twist the rope tighter around him, ensnaring him.

 

Levi was just about to close his eyes and accept his fate when he noticed a silhouette approaching him, lit up by the sun's rays streaking through the water. A long elegant tail morphing into the torso of a human male and messy, unkempt hair. Eren swam to him so quickly that it knocked the last of the air he had been clinging to from Levi's lungs but it didn't matter because through the knots of the netting Eren's lips found Levi's and blew oxygen into his lungs.

 

As soon as Levi's lungs were full Eren turned to the netting, brandishing Levi's sword which he had dropped on deck. Before Eren finished Levi's lungs were burning again and he motioned for Eren's attention. Eren blew a few bubbles and Levi took the hint, expelling the carbon dioxide from his lungs before Eren pressed their lips together again and offered up another mouthful of oxygen. The sensation was heady but the pressure of the water surrounding him was almost unbearable and Levi felt his vision blackening just as he felt the netting slipping away from his body.

 

Eren wrapped his arms tightly around Levi’s middle and swam them both back up to the surface quickly. Even though Eren had been providing him with oxygen, Levi still took in great gasps of oxygen as soon as he felt his head hit air. His eyes were burning from the salt and the brightness of the morning sun and Levi clutched tightly to Eren who was keeping them both afloat above water. Pathetic as Levi may look, his body felt weak and disoriented from his near-drowning experience.

 

The sound of frantic splashing caught his attention and he looked over to see Erwin approaching. Judging by his sodden commander’s uniform, Erwin had jumped directly into the ocean and swam towards them after Levi had gotten tangled in the net and fallen overboard. “Levi, are you alright?” Erwin asked as he got close enough to tread water an arm’s length away.

 

Levi saw the genuine concern in Erwin’s eyes but that didn’t change the fact that this was all Erwin’s fault anyway – his and Levi’s two mutinous crew members who had already been dealt with. “I am; no thanks to you.” Erwin’s lips thinned but he didn’t retaliate; Erwin knew Levi was right. “You’re never to come near me, Eren, or my ship again,” Levi demanded. “Fuck whatever orders you may get saying otherwise.”

 

He could tell that Erwin _wanted_ to argue, but what was Erwin going to say? Clearly Erwin did care about Levi’s wellbeing enough to jump into the ocean, and Erwin coming anywhere near Levi and his ship would just put Levi and his crew in further danger. So after a moment Erwin nodded his agreement. “I never wanted it to go like this,” he said.

 

“Maybe not,” Levi said. “But it did, and I’m putting an end to this. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going back to bed.”

 

He tried to swim on his own though he wasn’t sure why he bothered. Levi would never claim to be the strongest swimmer, and his limbs were still weak and trembling. He supposed he had been trying to make himself look a little less bedraggled, but in the end he allowed Eren to do the swimming for both of them. Levi could hear Erwin swimming away in the opposite direction but his main focus was on climbing the netting Hanji had thrown over the side of _The Captain’s Killer_. Each inch he climbed had his soaked clothes dragging him down, but finally he clamoured up over the railing and sat down to catch his breath.

 

It was Eren’s voice calling up at him from the water that caught Levi’s attention and had him standing up again to look over the railing. Eren was still bobbing in the water, his chest exposed with his tail just below the waves – though Levi could just make out about an inch of Eren’s body where human skin blended into blue-green scales. “What are you still doing down there?” Levi called down to Eren. He hadn’t been kidding about the idea of going back to bed, but he was planning on dragging Eren with him.

 

“Um, could you throw me down some underwear or something?” Eren requested sheepishly, cheeks pink. “The extra pair of underwear and pants I had ripped when I jumped back in the water after you.”

 

“Hang on,” Levi said and forced his legs to work as he walked quickly back into his quarters. He grabbed a pair of pants and returned to the railing, holding them out in offering. Levi didn’t want Eren’s bare body available for anyone’s viewing pleasure but his own.

 

“You can throw them down,” Eren said, and caught the pants when Levi let them fall. In an awkward shuffle Eren moved up the netting just enough for his tail to melt into skin and legs, and then fumbled the pants on over his hips. Eren looked a bit wobbly and despite the weakness in his body, Levi reached over and helped pull Eren over the railing. Eren smiled and laughed. “Thanks. Need to adjust to having legs again.”

 

A lot of the crew was watching them, but he trusted Hanji to whip them back into working order. Levi stayed out on deck to watch Erwin swim back to his own ship and then call the order to set sail, _The Inquisitor_ disappearing on the horizon.

 

“C’mon,” he beckoned Eren back towards his cabin. “I wasn’t kidding about going back to bed.” Eren followed silently and they changed into drier clothes before curling up in bed together. Levi’s eyelids felt heavy but he was unable to relax, his hand always clutching a little too tightly at Eren’s hip. “You cause so many problems,” he chided without malice.

 

Eren didn’t look tired at all but he still seemed content to lie in bed with Levi. His lips quirked up. “Erwin’s obsessed with you as much as me; you can’t blame it all on me.” Levi grunted, not caring enough to argue, and moaned when Eren leaned forward and kissed him deeply for a long, lingering moment. “I missed you while I was away,” Eren said.

 

“I missed you too, brat,” Levi confessed, finally feeling his body calming. He wasn’t dead and Eren was back safe with him.

 

Levi didn’t mean to sleep but without even realizing that he had fallen asleep, Levi was waking up sometime later. He was dozy as late morning sunlight spilled across the bed, and he found Eren awake but spooned happily against him in bed. “You should’ve woken me,” Levi grunted, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

 

Eren shrugged. “Hanji said zhe didn’t need you and the crew was happy for another shore day. I am too,” Eren said after a quick moment. “I need a jeweller on shore to help me get your token ready,” Eren said, clearly quite pleased with himself.

 

“What did you get me?” Levi asked, skimming his fingers through Eren’s hair.

 

Eren just smirked. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

 

#

 

Levi's body swayed, but not with the never-ending ebb and swell of the waves lapping at the hull of _The Captain's Killer_ as it cut through the ocean waves as they continued their voyage on towards their next adventure. Instead, Levi's body followed the rocking of Eren's hips as he rode Levi's throbbing cock, the mattress squeaking in time with their movements. Levi skimmed his palms up the golden skin of Eren's thighs to grip his hips, controlling the rhythm so he could fuck Eren's hole as deeply as possible.

 

They were both panting and whispering the other's names in ecstasy, their completion swiftly approaching. Levi could feel his legs trembling and his balls tightening, his nails digging crescents into Eren's sweaty skin. At the same time, Eren's fingers clutched at Levi's shoulders, marking him in return as he kept himself steady enough to ride Levi with a harsh and needy up-and-down.

 

Eren's mouth was open as he whined and gasped, but his half-lidded eyes never strayed from Levi's face. "You feel so— _ah_ _fuck_ , Levi, _please_ —so good," Eren babbled, cheeks flushed and eyes heated. "I want your seed inside me," he begged, knowing _exactly_ what those sorts of words did to Levi.

 

Levi grit his teeth as he held Eren's hips tighter and shoved him down on his cock, forcing himself balls-deep inside Eren's burning, welcoming body. It only took a few more thrusts before Levi's spine was arching beneath Eren and he was moaning long and loud, grinding against Eren's ass as he spilled his come deep inside Eren's body. At the feeling of Levi's come filling his insides, Eren squirmed and threw his head back, sitting back heavily on Levi's cock as his own come splattered across Levi's stomach and chest.

 

Eren's arms were shaking with exhaustion and when his body was finally spent, his body went completely pliant and he rolled over to lie on the bed beside Levi. They were both sweaty and covered in come and Levi forced himself to get up from bed just long enough to grab a cloth and soak it to scrub his body and then Eren's clean. They had managed to avoid completely soiling the sheets and Levi was too wiped out to insist on them changing it before sleeping so with a satisfied sigh he returned to the bed and wrapped his arm around Eren, tugging him closer.

 

For a few minutes they lay there in silence, their breathing and heartbeats calming slowly. Then Eren lifted his head and brushed his tongue and then his mouth over Levi's new earring – a black pearl Eren had discovered during his venture and had set in gold on shore before they set sail. Levi groaned and felt his cock twitch, though it was far too soon for his length to get fully hard again. "That's what got us started the first time around," Levi groused, though he couldn't say he minded the attention as Eren sucked playfully on his ear and Levi's flaccid cock throbbed again.

 

He could feel the curve of Eren's smile against his skin. "You didn't seem to mind the first time," Eren chuckled, his breath warm and causing Levi to shiver contently. "Plus, I can't help it; the earring looks really good on you." Levi said nothing as he continued to draw lazy circles on the smooth planes of Eren's back, but he looked up when Eren pulled away slightly and looked down at him with a nervous look. "You do... _like it_ , right?" he worried.

 

Levi brushed his hand up the length of Eren's spine until he was holding the shape of Eren's neck. Then he offered Eren one of his rare smiles as their eyes met. "I like it almost as much as I like the person who gave it to me," he was willing to say – though only for Eren's ears.

 

Immediately Eren beamed and ducked down to seal their lips together, their arms wrapped loosely around the other's body. They kissed for a long time, though they were still too sated and tired for round two. Eventually their kissing was broken apart by a wide yawn from Eren, which Levi mimicked without conscious consent. Eren laughed and Levi smiled again, relaxed in his contentment. At last Levi blew out the last lantern in his quarters and curled up in the blankets and Eren's embrace, both of them sharing the occasional kiss in the quiet darkness until they succumbed to their tiredness and the gentle swaying of their ship rocking them to sleep.

 

 _The Captain's Killer_ had a course plotted for a cove Eren had been to when searching for the perfect token to give to Levi, where he had discovered some signs that might lead to his friends. Levi had never planned for Eren – a beautiful man and merman – to come sneaking into his life, let alone his heart, nor had he imagined traversing the seas in search of his partner's lost friends. However, Levi had to admit that the pursuit of something more worthwhile than jewels had his blood pumping with an excitement he hadn't felt in a long time. And the sensation of Eren's face tucked against his neck in the few moments suspended in time before they both drifted off had his heart swelling with a happiness he never thought he'd know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! I hope you enjoyed the story ^.^

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](http://onewhositswiththeturtles.tumblr.com/)


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